In Spain, mutual aid by bicycle after the floods

Valencia (Spain), report

Daylight has barely dawned in Valencia, in southeastern Spain, when dozens of people are already converging on La Rambleta. This cultural center of the city has been transformed into a headquarters for volunteers. Every day, they come by the hundreds to organize the distribution of aid to flood victims, some of which will be done by bike.

« I'm a road cyclist, but here I went to pick up my old man VTT to recycle it »says Carlos Torrealba. With a friend, this forty-year-old has been mobilizing for several days, making daily return trips by bike to bring aid to the victims. « We go to places that are difficult to reach by car or on foot due to the distance. With the bike, you can go very fast and very far, in addition to being able to meet very specific needs. »explains Carlos.

« Saturday, we did around 100 kilometers »said his friend, Fernando Rodriguez, proudly. « We brought medicine, gloves, masks. We were faster than the authorities. » For more than a week, the Spanish authorities have been under fire for their response to deadly floods which left at least 219 dead and 89 missing, the vast majority south of Valencia. Many victims deplore having received very little help, if any, from the authorities.

At the Rambleta, everyone comes with their bike, both amateur and professional. Cargo is packed as best you can: backpacks, baskets at the front or back, panniers, children's bike trailers. One of the people behind this bicycle transportation initiative is Juan Dual, who everyone here knows.

When he saw the first images of the floods, this professional runner and cyclist decided the next day to carry sandwiches to the victims with his bike. « I am used to difficult terrain. I thought I would only do it for a day, but when I saw that the authorities were not taking over, I looked for a way to help them. Looking on Google Maps, I realized that the affected areas weren't very far by bike. The roads were blocked, but not on the sides, which is perfect for cyclists. »

Publications of his first trips on social networks led hundreds of citizens to take action. « We are very efficient, we can do 7 to 10 km in half an hour, drop off aid, then come back and leave. Meanwhile, cars are stuck for three or four hours. » Traveling by car in disaster areas is always very complicated. Many roads still remain damaged or littered with debris, while others are under attack, causing kilometers of traffic jams.

« All this solidarity is beautiful, but it’s intense. You have to coordinate all that, stay focused, pedal and not get hit by a car, because people are furious. They will become desperate because after a week, nothing has changed »constate Juan.

A huge outpouring of solidarity

On the large square in front of the cultural center, hundreds of boxes and bags filled with donations accumulate, as volunteers bring them. « I live only 5 kilometers from the affected areas, it could have been me. We are all very shocked. In Valencia, our life is still the same, but there, many people suffer »explained Angela Barón.

His mission this morning is to sort the donations to distribute them into different categories, so that they are delivered in the best possible way, by bike or on foot. « I just want to be useful. I'm not strong enough to go out there or help on my bike, so I figured coming here to help would make a difference »explains the 19-year-old young woman.

Using a megaphone, a volunteer warns the first group of cyclists of the day who are about to leave. « Be very careful, there may be contamination on site. Wear masks and protection on your shoes. » The stagnation of water and debris in the affected areas raises fears of a health risk.

Victor Bethencourt is leaving. Originally from the Canary Islands, solidarity has an important meaning for him. « In La Palma, we had a major volcanic eruption in 2021 with a lot of damage, and we were able to count on this strong solidarity which is unique to Spain. It's my turn to give back »he said before setting off on his bike with a friend. Today he will carry cleaning products and medicines for isolated people.

« I'm a bit like the king of the bike »

Next to him, a bicycle repair shop has been improvised on the edge of a fountain. Alessandro Mercadanti has not been idle for several days. « Yesterday I replaced over a hundred tires »said this bicycle repairer, showing an entire box full of punctured wheels. « I'm a bit like the king of the bike »he barely has time to say in impeccable French, before a man calls out to him. « I need to change my wheel as soon as possible, I have to leave. » Alessandro complies.

After cycling several kilometers, Gustavo has just arrived in Paiporta, one of the most affected towns. With his girlfriend, they attach their bike to a fence and unload their supplies. Toilet paper, some food and cat food. « Now I will look on Ayudaterreta [une carte en ligne qui met en relation les bénévoles et ceux qui ont besoin d’aide] to see where the most urgent needs are nearby and we will get there on foot, as quickly as possible. »

Of Mexican origin, Gustavo also has difficulty explaining the lack of help from the authorities there. « I am very shocked. Even in Mexico, where there is a lot of corruption, aid is sent very quickly in the event of an earthquake or storm. I can't believe what I see here in Europe. »

An anger that does not weaken

In the disaster areas, anger is still perceptible, street after street. « We received no help from the authorities, none. A chance that there are these volunteers, it brings tears to my eyes »said Pili, from his devastated garage in Paiporta. Everything took on water, causing part of the wall to collapse with its neighbor. « My son went to save people himself when all this happened, there was no help. He went to three houses, but in the last one, when he opened the door, there were only two bodies left. »she says with tears in her eyes.

Further away, Tina Zahonero del Rio, 61, is still struggling to realize what happened to her with her daughter. « When the alert came, the power of the water had already broken down our front door and I was floating in my living room, clinging to my ceiling lamp. We stayed like that for hours, and we could hear people screaming in the street, carried away by the waters »she says, still traumatized. « I was hypothermic, I felt like I was falling asleep little by little. My daughter was screaming for me not to sink. I thought I was going to die and that my daughter was going to see this. »

« I was floating in my living room »

Today, there is nothing left in her house, she has lost everything, including family photos, which were so dear to her. Relatives came to help him in the last days to clear the mess. « We had to organize ourselves, no one from the authorities came to help us. It's outrageous, it's a shame. All politicians in Spain are the same, I will never vote again »Tina burst out.

As she shows us room by room the extent of the damage in her house, her daughter turns on the flashlight on her phone to illuminate the bathroom. « My God, my God, it's not possible, I don't believe it »Tina exclaims. She has just discovered that a hanging lamp with three family photos has miraculously survived the events. She grabs it, turns towards her daughter, before hugging her for a long time while crying, overwhelmed by emotion. « It's one of our only memories of our life before ».