Former Minister of the Interior of the State of Valenciana during the Dana Conference, Salome PradasShe was interviewed on La Sexta’s “Salvados” program, where she said that if she were Mazzone, “I would have canceled my schedule.”
Pradas broke his silence and said he had been ordered not to disturb the unfortunate Carlos Mazzone October 29, 2024an order he received at 2:00 p.m. On that day.
Specifically, Pradas says the president’s chief of staff, José Manuel Cuenca, told him at noon: “Mazzone is busy. “You’re telling me.”
However, Pradas said she decided to skip it: “How I didn’t have to know president Of generalities “What was happening in an area of our territory?”
The former advisor says so “For responsibility” He got over it: “Sometimes I’m a little non-committal to what they suggest to me and I contact them directly president“.
The People’s Party politician complained about the photo given to her, “Who “ignorant, negative, or chaotic”Which he described as “unfair.” She even stresses through tears that those who know her know she did “everything I could to help.”
Pradas said that it could not inform Mazzone of the content of sending the ES alert or of the decision to send the alert due to… “I didn’t answer the phone.” The former advisor confirms that she wanted to “inform him, especially about the Frata Dam and the decision to issue” the warning, but not to “ask for an opinion or evaluation.”
Pradas then explained that Mazzone called her. I mentioned “Because of the difficulty of access to Utiel and Requena,” And that Mazzone only asked him to “keep reporting to him,” and that at no time did he tell him where he was or show concern about what was happening.
Pradas says thatI still have difficulty processing What happened that afternoon regarding president From the state and I have great sympathy for the victims.
Regarding what Mazzone did that afternoon, Pradas says: “He never talked to me about it. He never told me in detail what he did that afternoon. “I told him that otherwise I would have done it for the victims and told them.”
“That day he presented a copy in Congress and It’s almost what hurt me the most.“The thing about him not receiving calls (because he was carrying them in his backpack),” Pradas added.
The former chancellor says she had no direct confrontation with Mazzone until after her dismissal, “when I became a little more selfish and told him what I thought. What mattered to me was saving the people I could save.” “I’ll never be able to get over that.”she said through tears.
“I wanted to inform him at 7:10 p.m., because with the information we got from Furata, the affected residents It could be 80,000 people I wanted to inform my country president “And I can’t,” said Pradas, too.
“I did not wait for Mazzone at all, nor did I wait for any instructions, nor did he return my calls. How could I wait for someone I didn’t know was coming?“Salomé Pradas added in the interview.
“At 8:18 p.m., he called me to ask where he was going.”says the former Valencian politician, regarding the part of the Emergency Coordination Center where she had to go.
When Mazzone arrives at CECOPI, It had to be updatedPradas admits. When the president intervened after 9:30 p.m., Pradas said she was upset.
“officially We knew there were deaths At the meeting at 6:00, even though they told us at midnight that there might be deaths. He told us at 12:30 a.m.,” explains the former advisor.
“At CECOPI, the government delegate knew that we needed every means,” Pradas says. “I think I remember Sanchez saying a phrase that we Valencians will find difficult to ever forget. I couldn’t believe hearing the president say that if we need more resources, we should ask for them. It seemed to me so Inhumane demonstration Nothing is worthy of the Prime Minister of Spain. How can this be done, if he knows that we need resources and gives them to us in drops and salaries?” he wonders.
“How is that possible Sanchez went to India And don’t come to Valencia? How is it possible that he came later and didn’t ask who among us was there?” Pradas asks again.
The interviewer, Gonzo, wanted to change the subject and asked again about Mazzone and his food at El Venturo. Pradas says the person who told him this “didn’t even know how to tell me.” He doesn’t remember what he answered, but he said it “I couldn’t believe it”.
Twenty days after DANA was discontinued. “You could see it coming because of the situation president Towards me. He rejected me until the day he told me he had stopped. We were alone and he told me that he was going to remake the council and that he thought I should leave and I, almost without letting him say anything else, told him that I thought he had been unfair to me, that he was pointing the finger at me, and that he was blaming me when From the beginning I have been where I should be“, He said.
“That was the only moment when I showed a little selfishness, so to speak, because it was clear to me then that the ability to work for victims and reconstruction had ended and I wanted to tell him that we were looking for them.” Scapegoat To cover up what he thought should be covered up, and it surprised me when he himself defended the actions of the General State. He says: “They told me that he said he regretted expelling me, and he did not tell me that, until he admitted a few days ago that it was for political advantage.”
“A few days ago I mustered up the courage to tell him over the phone that I wanted him to tell the truth, not even to me. He did it for the victims, To tell us what he did that day, and tell him that I informed him of every step and every moment according to the information we have,” adds Pradas.
“I can only apologize for not being able to do more.” Pradas says he contacted relatives of Dana’s victims after what happened and that he understands their distress. He added: “I believe that glorification and insults lead to nothing.”