The regional government of Valencia on Tuesday tasked a retired senior army officer with organizing reconstruction work in the towns ravaged by the tragic floods of October 29.
Fifteen days after a very tense first visit, the sovereigns of Spain Felipe VI and Letizia return Tuesday to villages devastated by the deadly floods of October 29, where the search for the missing and clearing operations continue.
Arriving at the end of the morning in front of the town hall of Chiva, a town of 17,000 inhabitants among the most affected by the disaster which left at least 227 dead, Felipe VI and Letizia came to meet the inhabitants with the president of the region Carlos Mazón , much criticized for its management of bad weather. “Long live the king”shouted some of the people present in front of the town hall of the town, where a large police force had been deployed, according to AFP journalists on site. Carlos Mazon, for his part, was the target of some calls for resignation launched by residents.
Mentioned last week by Felipe VI, on the sidelines of a visit to soldiers deployed in areas affected by the floods, this visit was organized with the greatest discretion by the royal house, which never officially announced it. “It’s a good thing” that they are there but “they should have come before”told AFP Javier Domínguez, a 56-year-old resident of Chiva, even if he does not forget that the sovereigns “can’t do much” for the disaster victims.
“Chiva is doing very badly”assured María Victoria Sánchez, 75, who also welcomes this visit, two weeks after the tensions that marred a first visit to the region. What happened that day, “it’s an aberration”she judged. “From the start, we wanted to show our desire to be present in all affected places”while being “aware that each of us must be in our place”explained Felipe VI last week on the sidelines of a visit to soldiers deployed in the affected areas.
A bumpy first trip
On November 3, five days after the disaster, Felipe VI and Letizia had already gone to Paiporta, a village considered the epicenter of the tragedy, in the company of the socialist prime minister Pedro Sánchez and the head of the regional executive Carlos Mazón (People's Party, right).
But the situation on the spot quickly got out of hand: beside themselves, demonstrators booed the official procession, which was greeted with cries of«assassins» and by throwing stones and mud, during a chaotic sequence whose images went around the world.
The tension had forced Mr. Sánchez then Mr. Mazón, the main targets of this outburst of anger, to leave the scene. Only the royal couple remained there, their clothes and faces stained with mud, to exchange a few words with the inhabitants, protected by their bodyguards.
The second part of the visit, planned for Chiva, a town of 17,000 inhabitants located around forty kilometers from Valencia, had to be canceled. But the royal house had promised that Felipe VI and Letizia would return quickly.
“They should have come before”Javier Domínguez, a 56-year-old resident of Chiva, told AFP on Tuesday, even if he does not forget that the sovereigns “can’t do much” for the disaster victims.
“Keep their promise”
With this new move, the sovereigns wish “first keep their promise”underlines Vicente Garrido, professor of constitutional law at the University of Valencia. According to him, the climate is now more conducive to such a visit. “Today I think things have calmed down, despite the enormous pain” still present, says the academic, who considers a new outbreak of violence unlikely.
Strongly weakened for his part, the president of the Valencia region Carlos Mazón acknowledged “errors” on Friday, while ruling out resigning and criticizing the government's action. On Tuesday, he announced the appointment of a retired general to oversee reconstruction operations. Francisco José Gan Pampols “will be vice-president of the Valencian government for economic and social recovery”announced the regional executive in a press release. It will also be up to him to develop a “protection plan” intended to allow the Valencia region to “to cope” to possible news “natural disasters likely to endanger the population”specifies the press release.
The appointment of this general from the Army comes the day after a first reshuffle within the regional government of Valencia, led by the conservative Carlos Mazón, with the arrival of a new person responsible for Industry and the Tourism.
Born in 1958, Francisco José Gan Pampols directed the General Military Academy of Zaragoza and then the Armed Forces Intelligence Center (Cifas) during his career. He also participated in peacekeeping missions in the former Yugoslavia and Afghanistan.
The socialist Pedro Sánchez – currently in Brazil for the G20 summit, and who will therefore not be present on Tuesday alongside the sovereigns – will report on his management of the tragedy before Parliament, perhaps on November 27, according to his office.
