The president of the Generalitat has remained mute and has repressed his joking spirit. Known for his willingness to “joke”, to tweet, to take photos and to appear wherever it is (or is not) necessary, since the day after the tragedy that has devastated almost 70 towns and left more than 200 dead, he has been ambushed and alone appears to respond in trusted media, many related to conservative ideas and owned by bishops: because he has connections there (his right-hand man was the head of Cope Alicante) or he thinks he will be able to launch his argument without being tighten too much.
The terrible management of the catastrophe, the anger in the street, Feijóo’s shots and the calculated absence of the other strong weight of the PP of Valencia, the mayor, have made him make the decision to lower the piston and wait for it to subside, yes. that was possible. He does not plan to resign. There are those who wonder today if, behind that profile of the joker president, there was also a manager or if it was all hesitation.
On the day of the tragedy at night, although he was absent until six in the afternoon for a postponed and extemporaneous meal, Mazón put on his vest and went out at 9:30 p.m. to give information from the 112 Emergency center. It was a “canutazo” , that is, a statement standing before the microphones of the Generalitat and the regional public television, À Punt. That was the model in the first three days of the debacle. Communicate by feigning security and importance and leave, without questions from the press. Communicate an undetermined number of deaths without saying how many “out of respect” for the families. Control over Mazón and where he appears has been maintained until today. He has still not allowed questions to be raised in public nor has he given an interview on public channels, neither national nor regional, despite repeated requests.
Mazón arrived at the Palau de la Generalitat against all odds, even from his own. On May 26, 2023, the electoral reversal was confirmed and this man from Alicante – until then president of the Provincial Council, a Zaplanista and his entire working life holding positions in the PP – took control of the Valencian Community. Since then he has shown himself to be close and “effective”, and he has constantly wanted to sell it on his networks, with videos in which, more than an institutional profile, he appeared good vibes, speed and friendliness.
When he assumed the presidency, in July 2023 after an express pact with Vox that ousted Feijóo – La Moncloa was being played that month – he chose a movie as his epic date. ‘The Candidate’, by Robert Redford: “I am not asking Valencians for their unwavering support, but rather the benefit of the doubt.” Last Saturday, at the demonstration, 130,000 gave their answer.
In his social profiles from then until October 29 of this year you can find everything from jokes in his office at the Palau to “didactic” explanations. He has acted as a notary and hostess at raffles. He has also explained in person how to download a Valencian certificate in no time on your own computer, then validate with Baccalaureate the title that they had obtained by taking the exam with effort before hundreds of thousands of Valencians. The most viral video, without a doubt, was not moved by him: his performance with the group Marengo, with which in the past he wanted to go to Eurovision to succeed. He went around social networks when it became known that he was going to be the president.
His publications on the night of the tragedy were unfortunate. Although he maintained a serious and contrite tone – at the height of what was happening, with thousands of people by then climbing onto trees, roofs and cars – he confused the population by saying that the 112 Emergency telephone line was not collapsed, that if it had not They got them to insist.
Not only was it collapsed, but people had to turn to Twitter and the radio to ask for rescue help, for themselves or their families. The telephone worked, but the 20 operators could not cope with the more than 2,000 calls they were receiving. This Thursday it was also known that Emergències had 13 vacant positions to fill for months. Hours before the flood he had confused the Valencians by saying that the storm was going to Cuenca and abating. He then deleted the tweet.
The official accounts in the first moments have provided little information, partly due to confusion and because the media and political leadership was concentrated on the person of the president. Useful and essential information has been lacking in the first days. For example, advice to the population and volunteers to prevent infections was launched on November 2. Until then, thousands of people collected mud without masks, glasses or gloves. It was not until Friday the 8th that Valencians’ mobile phones were launched, with the first infections already appearing in hospitals.
Two days after the flood he gave the first interview, to Carlos Franganillo on Telecinco. Then came Antena 3, where he blamed the technicians, the Aemet and the Confederation for what happened. With Carlos Herrera in Cope, Mazón went further and blamed the UME for not asking for more reinforcements. Their networks, at that time, only collected advertisements against the catastrophe, useful measures, blame on the Sánchez government and fragments of interviews.
The most surreal moment occurred on the day of the kings’ visit. Although the agenda had been canceled after the mud catharsis in Paiporta, Mazón arrived at the next stop, Chiva, with his car, even knowing that there was no longer a visitor. While everyone was on their way to the Cecopi de la Eliana, Mazón stood in the town, where he received insults, and looked for the Cope microphones to show his presence, trying to show at the same time that Pedro Sánchez had been taken away. There he gave, alone and stained with mud, another concerted blow.
Carlos Mazón, previously so loquacious and talkative, has secluded himself in the Palau, among his own people and in very selected interviews, he has only answered some improvised questions and in passing at the entrance and exit of the Cecopio. In addition to Cope and Antena 3, he has given interviews to media such as La 8 mediterráneo, a local television station with a residual audience and also owned by the bishops, where the star is Lluís Motes, a presenter with whom he is in tune and representative of the time of greater manipulation on Channel 9. Trece TV has been the other chosen to give explanations, also ultra-conservative and owned by the Episcopal Conference. Another medium with a tiny audience. Mazón’s withdrawal has been the subject of criticism by public television and La Sextawho have not managed to interview the president and have issued a statement of complaint.
To protect it and give a better image of solvency, on Monday, November 4, the Palau decided to change its face to communicate the management: it chose Rosa Tourís, an expert in forest fires, the only general director they found with knowledge of the subject and profile technical, after it became evident that the counselor of the branch is not qualified to give explanations and that, when she does give them, it causes more problems. On the political side, although the spokesperson for the Consell is Ruth Merino (signed from Ciudadanos), the president has asked his vice president, Susana Camarero, who appeared in the press room last Thursday, to give his face and explanations. In this appearance, nine days after the tragedy, the Consell allows questions from journalists for the first time.
Since D-Day, Mazón has been disoriented and incoherent in communication. The latest example, a canutazo sought at the doors of Cecopi to attack Vice President Ribera. He appears stammering to say that there was no coverage while admitting that he had missed calls. Everything has gotten worse for the Palau guest since it became known about his “private work lunch,” which he tried to cover up with a prepared, canned, express visit without media to a town at ground zero that had no repercussions. media.
But the bell for Carlos Mazón came on Saturday. The president had a very bad day. The street was occupied by 130,000 citizens (the capital has 800,000) who called for his resignation. Mazón, who could no longer use sarcasm because there is no room for jokes, sent the PP of the Comunitat to make a blunder, which tweeted that the protest was from Catalanists. He, in his profile, became reactive. Instead of listening to an enormity who spoke, he posted seven posts of official measures and announcements, one after the other, during the three hours that his martyrdom lasted.
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