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The Government delegate in Madrid did not see "risk" for the population in holding the 8-M demonstration. José Manuel Franco , charged with an offense of administrative trespass, declared this Wednesday for an hour and a half before the head of the 51st Investigating Court of Madrid, Judge Carmen Rodríguez-Medel, and pointed out that he and his daughter, "that he's a doctor, "they attended the Women's Day rally . The defendant provided that illustrative detail to the judge as clear proof that he was not aware of the seriousness of the situation at that time.

Throughout the interrogation, José Manuel Franco repeated that the body he directs has no competence in health matters and pointed out in a veiled way that before 8-M they corresponded to the Community of Madrid. In addition, the socialist leader stressed that before March 8, he did not have instructions or indications from any authority, neither regional nor national, where he urged the suspension of massive events such as the Women's Day demonstration.

As reported by sources present in the interrogation of EL MUNDO, the Government delegate also explained that he subsequently received reports alerting about the spread of Covid-19, specifically, from March 11 , three days before the decree was issued. state of alarm. It so happens that the Government delegate, defended by the State Bar, is the only political leader investigated in the first open criminal proceeding resulting from the pandemic.

His line of defense during the expected face-to-face with Judge Rodríguez-Medel, harshly attacked by his lawyer, was based on emphasizing that the delegation only has jurisdiction in matters of public order, but in no case in matters of health. They are not experts in health issues.

Franco points to the Community of Madrid

As the State Attorney has slipped in the successive appeals filed in court, on March 8 the competent authority on health issues was the Health Department of the regional government of Isabel Díaz Ayuso. José Manuel Franco shot in the same direction.

The accused explained that it was from March 9 that they began to become aware of the risk and danger that the coronavirus entailed. That day the Madrid president ordered the closure of schools, institutes and universities due to the virus. It was not until March 11, when the Community of Madrid sent them a report with the restrictions agreed by Covid-19, according to Franco herself.

On the other hand, the person in charge of the delegated body of the Executive in Madrid stressed during his appearance that "the demonstrations are not authorized, they are only known." He also highlighted that he sent a letter on March 13 to the workers of the delegation to give them peace in front of the Covid-19 and added that he also did it to monitor strict compliance with the regulations with the aim of "guaranteeing citizen security."

Asked about the internal protocol that the government delegation distributed to its employees, dated February 28 , asking them to maintain social distancing, Franco replied that he did not receive it in time due to a synchronization problem in his email.

"What the law required was done"

At the end of his appearance, José Manuel Franco attended the media at the gates of the Plaza de Castilla courts and stated that his performance was always "in accordance with the Law and the news that was being received by experts on the evolution of the coronavirus. "

The person investigated also explained to journalists that "he does not consider himself responsible for 8-M at all, because at that time there was no element that led him to prohibit a fundamental right" such as the right to demonstrate. "What the law established at that time was done," argued Franco.

On the other hand, the socialist insisted that "it is not proven under any circumstances" that the increase in cases registered on March 9 , 24 hours after the feminist march, "had to do with the demonstration", given that the contagion of the The virus takes "about 14 days" to manifest.

The forensic doctor himself assigned to the court has pointed out that it is not possible to know if a person who has attended demonstrations has been infected with Covid-19 in these mass gatherings "or elsewhere".

Witnesses acknowledge that there was 'lack of control'

Along with him testified before the judge Carmen Rodríguez-Medel the secretary general of the government delegation, Fernando Talavera ; the head of the cabinet of the government delegate, Luis María Sanz ; and the director of the Citizen Security Unit, José Luis Correas Díaz .

The latter explained that in the Government delegation it was not clear who was the competent authority to communicate the risks derived from the coronavirus, whether the central Administration through the Ministry of Health or the Community of Madrid. The witness revealed that a query was raised from the Government delegation to the State Attorney's Office to inform them of said competence.

Correas also admitted that there was some lack of control against the coronavirus, since they initially thought it was like the flu. He also added that if Fernando Simón, director of the Center for the Coordination of Emergencies and Health Alerts, himself gave his son freedom to go to 8-M, how would they think that there was a real risk of contagion.

The instructor from Plaza de Castilla has maintained the accusation and summons of the socialist leader José Manuel Franco after receiving two extensive reports from the Civil Guard and an exhaustive forensic report questioning the actions of the Government delegation in allowing the March of the Day of the Woman in full expansion of the Covid-19 virus.

Accusations, without the Prosecutor's Office

The Prosecutor's Office does not exercise an accusation in this procedure, since it does not see evidence of crime in the behavior of José Manuel Franco and has asked the Madrid Court to file the case.

In contrast, the popular accusation in the procedure is exercised by the Association of Civil Guard Officials and the Association of Consumers and Users José María Mena . The initial complainant in the case, the lawyer Víctor Valladares , could not be present in the statement of the Government delegate due to a problem arising from his personification. Legal sources report that the instructor herself conducted part of the interrogations.

In accordance with the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Madrid
  • March 8
  • Isabel Díaz Ayuso
  • Civil Guard
  • Fernando Simón
  • Coronavirus
  • Covid 19
  • Women's Day

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Justice The Civil Guard suspects that the Government is hiding data from the 8-M demonstration

JusticiaSanidad reported in a report dated March 6 that distance was key to curbing Covid-19 infections

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