On October 29, 2024, Valencia, Spain received the equivalent of an entire year's worth of rain in just eight hours. This phenomenon, locally known as Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos (DANA), caused the death of 231 civilians of different nationalities.
This event was reported by international media, and many governments sent their solidarity to the people of Valencia, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Cuba, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and Uruguay. They posted their best wishes on social media. What about the United States Democrats?
The Spanish Crisis Committee publicly rejected international aid, not responding to offers of collaboration from:
- President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador, who offered 300 paramedics and 20 tons of supplies.
- President Javier Milei of Argentina, who proposed sending an emergency volunteer team called "Cascos Blancos."
- French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who allegedly offered firefighters.
- The governments of Morocco, Portugal, Venezuela, and Equatorial Guinea also offered their help.
The government ignored meteorological warnings from AEMET (State Meteorological Agency).
On October 23, 2024, AEMET began reporting on the possibility of a DANA. It was rejected.
On October 29 at 07:36 hours, AEMET issued a red alert (the highest level) for heavy rainfall in the interior of Valencia, and in areas of the autonomous communities of Aragón, Castilla-La Mancha, Andalucía, and Cataluña. This was also rejected.
The affected communities and witnesses to the tragedy blame the Spanish government for the following crimes:
- Manslaughter due to negligence (Art. 142 of the Penal Code): Authorities failed to issue a preventive warning, leading to the deaths of people.
- Disinformation (Art. 216 Penal Code): The government concealed information about the number of victims and the extent of the damage.
- Failure to Provide Assistance (Art. 196 Penal Code): Lack of coordination and delays in rescue efforts put more people in danger without receiving the necessary help.
- Administrative Responsibility (Law 40/2015 on Legal Regime of Administrative Control): Evidence of negligence by local authorities contributed to the collapse and worsened the situation.
- Malfeasance (Art. 404 Penal Code): During the administration, authorities made arbitrary decisions, such as failing to activate rescue protocols or misdirecting resources. The President of the Government publicly stated, "IF YOU NEED HELP, ASK FOR IT." This was the first threat to the citizens for expressing the reality of the situation.
These crimes reflect a high degree of negligence and incompetence by the authorities of a European country. They challenge various legal norms of the European Union and present an international defiant stance, showing that Spain is above the law. Despite all this, European justice is too slow, but its response will be decisive.
Justice will Be Done.
