We have seen frightening images of the aftermath of flooding in Valencia, Spain. Homes and retirement homes flooded, cars piled up because of the torrential rains, people were trapped, and emergency services collapsed. The death toll as of November 3, was 217, but we cannot rule out that it could be higher, because at this hour there are still people missing.
By Corriente Roja
What we are experiencing today in Valencia is the natural consequence of the inaction of governments, companies, and institutions in the face of climate change, and the result of cutting public services, as Carlos Mazón (PP) did by eliminating the Valencian Emergency Unit.
Certainly, many of the deaths and the chaos caused could have been avoided if the Valencian government had activated the civil protection alert MUCH earlier, since the national weather serrice AEMET warned of adverse weather conditions on Sunday, October 27. However, the alert in Valencia did not arrive until Tuesday, October 29, at 8 p.m., when the disaster was already underway and worsening. In addition, the late appeal by Minister of Labor, Yolanda Diaz, asking for companies to respect article 14 of the Law on Prevention of Occupational Hazards is of no use to us.
What has been the result of the above mistakes? Dozens of missing persons, companies forcing their workers to go to work, and 217 deaths. Once again we have been shown that under capitalism, profits come before our lives. It is we, the working class, who pay the consequences of the environmental disaster that they have insisted on denying exists or can affect us.
We demand the immediate resignation of Carlos Mazón, the opening of an investigation into all the companies that endangered their workers and are directly responsible for these deaths, and that they be sanctioned, starting with the supermarket chain Mercadona and the home delivery companies.
We also want to send our full support to the people affected and our sincere condolences to the families and friends of the deceased. No more attacks on the working class.
Today more than , it is necessary to organize to confront the environmental emergency and the attacks of the bosses and the bourgeoisie, so that we do not continue to pay the consequences of their plunder with our lives. We need urgent measures to confront climate change and be at the service of the working class and the people, and not the companies and their pockets.
Cutting public services kills. Capitalism kills. Today more than ever, organizing is necessary for survival.
