WhatsApp Messages Implicate Spanish Officials in Delayed Emergency Response to Deadly Floods
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Leaked WhatsApp messages between former regional minister Salomé Pradas and top officials Carlos Mazón and José Manuel Cuenca reveal a concerning lack of urgency and potential obstruction during a devastating flood emergency in Valencia, Spain, raising questions about official accounts given under oath.
The messages, delivered by Pradas’ defense team, contradict previous statements made by both Mazón and Cuenca during testimony before a congressional commission investigating the handling of the DANA (Dirección General de Protección Civil y Emergencias) weather event, and in Cuenca’s appearance before the investigating judge. Both officials were legally obligated to provide truthful testimony. The correspondence suggests Cuenca directly influenced the emergency response, including attempts to control the messaging surrounding the disaster.
Contradictory Accounts of the Es-Alert System
Pradas had previously denied anyone conditioned the decision to send out the Es-Alert emergency warning system, stating in a television interview that she “didn’t wait for Mr. Mazón at all, nor did I expect any instructions from him.” However, the WhatsApp messages reveal she did await instructions from Cuenca, Mazón’s chief of staff.
According to the messages, Cuenca attempted to influence the content of the Es-Alert, specifically requesting it not include instructions for residents to shelter in place. Between 5:00 PM and 8:15 PM, Cuenca repeatedly urged Pradas against a lockdown, stating, “no confinement, please,” and “Confinement is barbaric,” suggesting the decision rested with a local delegate, Pilar Bernabé. He insisted Pradas “be calm” despite her conveying the severity of the situation. These objections demonstrably delayed the issuance of the alert.
Discrepancies Over Knowledge of Fatalities
Further scrutiny centers on when officials were first informed of fatalities related to the flooding. Mazón initially told the congressional commission that he had no confirmation of deaths until 5:00 AM the following morning, a claim he later repeated during a heated exchange with deputy Gabriel Rufán.
However, Mazón himself publicly announced at 12:35 AM on October 30, 2024, at the Emergency Center, that there were “lifeless bodies.” This statement is directly contradicted by the WhatsApp exchange. Pradas was informed of a death in Utiel at 4:30 PM, and Cuenca forwarded a message from Mazón at 4:45 PM stating, “at seven in the afternoon we go to 112” – a reference to the emergency services number. This sequence suggests Cuenca kept Mazón informed of the fatality and that the 7:00 PM notification to emergency services was a direct response to that information. It raises questions as to why Mazón did not disclose this knowledge during his earlier testimony. President Juanfran Pérez Llorca stated this Friday that upon visiting Cecopi on October 30th, “there was no official record” of DANA victims.
Mazón consistently maintained he was not responsible for directing the emergency response, citing the existing Emergency Plan. However, the messages reveal that José Manuel Cuenca, Mazón’s chief of staff and roommate, effectively took control of the situation. As Mazón reportedly stopped responding to Pradas’ calls and messages, Cuenca became the primary point of contact, issuing instructions to the former minister and even directing her to keep him informed because Mazón was attending other events.
Despite this central role, Cuenca testified before the congressional commission that the emergency communication was “not my responsibility,” characterizing it as “very technical” and claiming the Presidency did not intervene. He asserted that emergency management was “strictly technical” and that no one consulted him. He claimed Pradas contacted him only to provide “technical evolution” updates.
Lost Messages and Renewed Scrutiny
Efforts to corroborate the WhatsApp exchange with Cuenca’s own messages have been hampered by his claim that he lost all WhatsApp data when he changed phones in July. The messages presented are solely those voluntarily provided by Pradas’ defense team as part of their legal strategy.
In light of these revelations, a private prosecutor in the case has requested the Catarroja judge investigating the DANA management to re-summon José Manuel Cuenca for further questioning.
