Ferreras defends Spain's DANA army delay as institutional clash
Journalist Ferreras claims Sánchez avoided sending troops to Valencia to prevent conflict with Mazón, but data contradicts the government's stance.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Ferreras and the 'institutional clash': The Government's excuse for not sending the Army to Valencia
The argument has been repeated ad nauseam: deploying the military in the Valencian Community during the October 2024 DANA would have triggered an institutional clash with the Generalitat led by Carlos Mazón. Journalist Antonio García Ferreras, on his La Sens program, has championed this view, attributing the decision to political prudence. But the debate is significant: the absence of soldiers in the disaster's first days, which claimed over 200 lives, invites less charitable interpretations.
Ferreras' thesis: Avoiding a clash or dodging responsibility?
According to transcripts circulating online, Ferreras has repeatedly stated that President Sánchez did not activate the Army because it would have meant a conflict with Valencian authorities, who are from the PP. The exact phrase, used over and over, was about avoiding an "institutional clash." The opposition, however, sees it as an alibi: the central government preferred inaction to stepping into political waters. The precedent of the pandemic, when Sánchez declared a state of alarm without consulting the Community of Madrid to confine nine cities, including the capital, contradicts this alleged timidity. Then, there was no hesitation in forcing the institutional machinery.
The Executive's contradictions
The comparison with 2020 is inevitable. That confinement of Madrid was decided unilaterally, arguing the need to curb mobility during the Pilar bridge holiday. Now, with thousands affected in Valencia and dozens missing, the same Government cites respect for regional competencies. Defense Minister Margarita Robles assured that the Army "has a deterrent presence," stating that sending more troops required an explicit request from the Generalitat. However, civil protection law allows the State to declare a national emergency and deploy the UME (Military Emergency Unit) without prior request, as was done in the Prestige oil spill or during the pandemic. The difference is, above all, political.
The dead weigh heavily on the narrative
The Valencia DANA has been the deadliest natural disaster in Europe this century, with more than 200 deaths and economic damages estimated in billions. Meanwhile, media focus has shifted to Mazón's management and Moncloa's response. Ferreras, already accused of being a government mouthpiece in previous crises (such as the Delcy Rodríguez case, where José Luis Ábalos prevented police from intercepting the Venezuelan vice president), has become the epicenter of the controversy. His insistence on the institutional clash theory is seen by many as a distraction maneuver: passing the buck while political responsibility simmers.
What if the clash was inevitable?
Some analysts point out that had the Army been sent without the Generalitat's approval, the conflict would have been real. But the cost of not doing so was paid by citizens. The question remains whether institutional prudence is compatible with the urgency of saving lives. Judging by reactions, the public does not seem willing to buy the argument. If the investigation committee now taking shape confirms the decision was primarily political, the institutional crisis Sánchez wanted to avoid could end up exploding elsewhere.
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The argument has been repeated ad nauseam: deploying the military in the Valencian Community during the October 2024 DANA would have triggered an institutional clash with the Generalitat led by Carlos Mazón. Journalist Antonio García Ferreras, on his La Sens program, has championed this view, attributing the decision to political prudence. But the debate is significant: the absence of soldiers in the disaster's first days, which claimed over 200 lives, invites less charitable interpretations.
Ferreras' thesis: Avoiding a clash or dodging responsibility?
According to transcripts circulating online, Ferreras has repeatedly stated that President Sánchez did not activate the Army because it would have meant a conflict with Valencian authorities, who are from the PP. The exact phrase, used over and over, was about avoiding an "institutional clash." The opposition, however, sees it as an alibi: the central government preferred inaction to stepping into political waters. The precedent of the pandemic, when Sánchez declared a state of alarm without consulting the Community of Madrid to confine nine cities, including the capital, contradicts this alleged timidity. Then, there was no hesitation in forcing the institutional machinery.
The Executive's contradictions
The comparison with 2020 is inevitable. That confinement of Madrid was decided unilaterally, arguing the need to curb mobility during the Pilar bridge holiday. Now, with thousands affected in Valencia and dozens missing, the same Government cites respect for regional competencies. Defense Minister Margarita Robles assured that the Army "has a deterrent presence," stating that sending more troops required an explicit request from the Generalitat. However, civil protection law allows the State to declare a national emergency and deploy the UME (Military Emergency Unit) without prior request, as was done in the Prestige oil spill or during the pandemic. The difference is, above all, political.
The dead weigh heavily on the narrative
The Valencia DANA has been the deadliest natural disaster in Europe this century, with more than 200 deaths and economic damages estimated in billions. Meanwhile, media focus has shifted to Mazón's management and Moncloa's response. Ferreras, already accused of being a government mouthpiece in previous crises (such as the Delcy Rodríguez case, where José Luis Ábalos prevented police from intercepting the Venezuelan vice president), has become the epicenter of the controversy. His insistence on the institutional clash theory is seen by many as a distraction maneuver: passing the buck while political responsibility simmers.
What if the clash was inevitable?
Some analysts point out that had the Army been sent without the Generalitat's approval, the conflict would have been real. But the cost of not doing so was paid by citizens. The question remains whether institutional prudence is compatible with the urgency of saving lives. Judging by reactions, the public does not seem willing to buy the argument. If the investigation committee now taking shape confirms the decision was primarily political, the institutional crisis Sánchez wanted to avoid could end up exploding elsewhere.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (117 replies).
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