'Blood on his hands' Survivors' fury lingers a year after deadly floods

In the wake of the country's worst natural disaster this century, Valencians call for social, political and judicial consequences

- By Sam Jones VALENCIA

The endless, sticky mud that coated the streets of Valencia, sucking at the boots of survivors and residents, is gone now. As are the jumbles of wrecked cars and the mountains of sodden, ruined belongings that had begun to stink in the humid coastal air.

But one year on, lingering evidence of the worst natural disaster to befall Spain this century is everywhere. Walk through the doorless entrance to a block of flats in the Benetússer neighbourhood, on the southern outskirts of the city, and there is a small sign on the wall, positioned 2.5 metres above the floor. It reads: “The flood waters rose this high on 29 October 2024.”

A sticker on the building, one of many around here, shows the regional president, Carlos Mazón, smiling and holding out his bloodstained hands.

As parts of the Valencia region were flooded by the torrential rains that brought a year’s worth of rainfall in eight hours to some areas, and as people were drowning in their cars, homes and garages, Mazón, a conservative People's party (PP) member, was having a four-hour lunch with a journalist.

By the time his administration sent an emergency alert to mobile phones at 8.11pm, most of the disaster’s victims were already dead. It killed 229 people in Valencia, seven in neighbouring Castilla-La Mancha and one in Andalucía. According to government figures, nearly 60,000 homes, about 105,000 cars and more than 10,000 shops were damaged or destroyed.

The fury many feel towards Mazón is evident in the sticker’s caption: “Mud on our [hands]. Blood on his.” The words beneath that slogan require no translation: “Mazón criminal.”

That rage was apparent last Saturday, when more than 50,000 people marched through Valencia in the latest protest demanding his resignation. A recent survey found that 75% of Valencians believe Mazón should quit.