Carlos Mazón announces resignation after protestors in Valencia demand justice for the 2024 floods.Image credit: NBC News
(The Post News) – Carlos Mazón, president of the Valencia region of Spain, stepped down on Monday after his handling of catastrophic floods in 2024 that killed over 230 people led to tremendous public outcry. It was the deadliest natural disaster to hit Spain in a generation.
“The reality is that today I am the focus of criticism, noise, hatred and tension,” Mazón said in a televised address. “I can’t go on anymore.”
The floods of October 29, 2024, devastated Valencia and its surrounding areas, destroying homes and infrastructure. The disaster was from a DANA weather system that unleashed heavy torrential rains, left thousands homeless, and caused billions in damages.
Mass Protests Demand Justice
Anger against Mazón has been growing for months. On Saturday, tens of thousands of residents marched through Valencia’s streets chanting “They didn’t die, they were murdered” and carrying signs reading “Mazón to prison”.
“I lost everything, but what matters most is the lives that were lost,” said 71-year-old survivor Cristina Guzmán Trabero. “They could have been saved. We just want justice.”
At a state memorial last week, victims’ families shouted “murderer” and “coward” as Mazón arrived, reflecting deep public resentment.
Under Spain’s decentralized emergency system, disaster responses fall to regional governments. But Mazón’s administration issued flood alerts to residents only after water had already flooded towns, more than 12 hours after the national weather agency issued a red alert.
Despite worsening conditions, Mazón had a long lunch with a journalist the day of the floods. On Monday, he acknowledged, “I should have cancelled my appointments,” while insisting that “the storm’s magnitude was unforeseeable.”
Ongoing Investigation and Political Fallout
The Spanish courts are now looking into whether the tardy response by regional authorities contributed to the high number of casualties. Last week, journalist Maribel Vilaplana, who dined with Mazón during the floods, gave testimony in the case.
Authorities also confirmed they had found the body of a 56-year-old man buried in mud a year after he was swept away, showing the enduring toll of the flood.
Mazón’s resignation brings to an end weeks of protests and political turmoil. His departure also raises questions about accountability and climate readiness as extreme weather events grow more frequent in Spain.
For example, environmental experts predict that DANA systems-which involve the collision of cold and warm air, leading to violent rainstorms-will increase in intensity with climate change.
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