THE resignation of Valencian President Carlos Mazon is the result of a devastating combination of political negligence and scandal that has left 229 dead.
His tearful speech on Monday, acknowledging mistakes, rings hollow in the face of overwhelming evidence that his incompetence directly contributed to the loss of life during the October 29 DANA floods.
Many would argue that his mea culpa came 12 months too late. Rather than hanging on to power by his fingernails until a 12th protest march calling for his resignation, he should have gone a year ago.
Mazon’s decision to spend a long, indulgent lunch with journalist Maribel Vilaplana while the storm surged across Valencia – and his subsequent failure to issue an emergency alert – paints a damning picture of his priorities.
READ MORE: Valencian president Carlos Mazon quits after blonde lunch scandal erupted over floods which killed 229
As public officials scrambled to assess the severity of the flooding, Mazon was seemingly more concerned with ‘sobremesa’ than saving lives. His blasé attitude towards the gravity of the situation raises crucial questions: was he unaware of the disaster’s scale, or was he simply too distracted?
Vilaplana’s testimony, while sensationalised, adds fuel to the fire. Her vague account of a ‘lunch and after-lunch talk’ offered little clarity on Mazon’s actions during the critical hours.
What is clear, however, is that his political fate was sealed not just by the storm, but by his reckless disregard for the responsibility he held.
While Mazon’s resignation is a step toward accountability, it is not enough.
The families of the victims deserve more than apologies. Children are still suffering the mental damage the terrifying storms caused.
The Valencian government must act to restore faith, and those responsible for withholding the alarm system should face the full consequences. Mazon’s resignation is just the beginning of the reckoning that must follow.
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