The Minister for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera, will voluntarily appear before the Plenary of Congress on Wednesday, November 20, to report on her management of the DANA, government sources confirmed to Europa Press. In response to requests from the Popular Party, which accuses her of inaction in managing the DANA and being more focused on international issues, Ribera defends that she was aware of the situation at all times.
In an attempt to clarify her actions, Ribera mentioned that she tried to contact, with initial failure, the president of the Valencian Community, Carlos Mazón. Later, she managed to speak with Mazón after several calls on Tuesday, October 29, when she perceived the seriousness of the situation after conversations with CECOPI. The DANA, unfortunately, officially left 222 fatalities in the province of Valencia.
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, supported Ribera and assured that he also had no difficulty in communicating with Mazón. According to the Ministry for Ecological Transition, Ribera remained available electronically from Brussels on October 29 and returned to Madrid the following day to physically join the crisis committees activated by Moncloa after the disaster caused by the DANA.
Amid criticisms and reproaches, the Valencian president questioned Ribera for not showing interest in the DANA situation that affected several localities in the province of Valencia until late in the night of October 29. The minister's appearance before Congress will be an opportunity to clarify her actions and the measures taken during the emergency.
