PRIME Minister, Pedro Sanchez, will form a joint commission between the national government and the Valencia region to coordinate reconstruction following the October 29, 2024 floods.

Recently-installed Valencian president, Juanfran Perez Llorca, revealed the news at a press conference on Wednesday after meeting with Sanchez for the first time at the Moncloa Palace.

Perez Llorca said: “It has been 414 days since the tragedy, and contrast that with the response to the volcanic eruption at La Palma.”

MADRID TALKS, WEDNESDAY

The president said essential issues concerning reconstruction should be discussed within the new forum which should have been formed far earlier.

It will consist of national and regional government representatives, as well as the Valencia Provincial Council and municipalities affected by the October 29 floods.

Key issues for Perez Llorca include speeding up tax exemptions for people who lost their business or their home; and the processing via emergency procedure for essential infrastructure construction to avoid a repeat of what happened in 2024 during torrential rain.

He also believes that individual municipalities should have greater flexibility to process grant aid.

Perez Llorca pointed out that the Valencian administration had borrowed €2.5 billion to ‘attend to aid’ carry out basic repair work.

“I have asked him(Sanchez) for it to be non-refundable aid from the Government,” he commented.

PEREZ LLORCA’S 100-POINT PLAN

“It cannot be that the only contribution of the Government which will put us more in debt”, he continued- adding that he has not received a positive indication that the debt would be converted into a grant.

“That would have been a turning point,” Perez Llorca stated.

He presented Pedro Sanchez with a plan containing ‘100 proposals to move forward together’ combing historical demands of the Valencian Community, coupled with needs arising from the floods.
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A VALENCIA-BASED gang posing as electricity inspectors conned €100,000 out of 85 elderly people across Spain.

Once they got their foot through the door, they threatened to cut off supplies and used various ruses to obtain cash, jewellery, and other valuables.

In one case in Castellon province, a man was assaulted and €1,200 in cash was stolen from him.

FAKE INSPECTOR CAUGHT ON CCTV

Two people have been arrested and five others are being investigated for dozens of crimes, including fraud, theft, robbery with violence, and membership of a criminal organization.

The gang operated in the Aragon, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Valencia, La Rioja, Madrid, Navarra and Basque Country areas.

The Guardia Civil in Picassent(Valencia province) launched Operation Lugacoli to catch the offenders after receiving two complaints.

The scammers would show up unannounced at the homes of elderly people or approach them on the street, claiming to be technicians from an electricity firm,

They wore clothing with generic or fake logos to gain trust and said they needed to change the electricity meter immediately.

The conmen warned of an immediate power cut if payments were not made immediately.

In some cases, they demanded up to €900, either in cash or by card, even using fake card readers to obtain the PIN code and later to withdraw money from ATMs.

ONE OF THE VALENCIA ARRESTS

The victims were always elderly people and the scammers carried out preliminary checks and called the victims by name, reinforcing the credibility of the scam.

Once in homes, they also stole jewellery, mobile phones, and other valuables.

The gang consisted of seven people living in Valencia with extensive criminal records,

The two detainees have been remanded into custody ahead of their trial.

The Guardia Civil has reiterated the importance of exercising extreme caution when there is an unexpected visitor and to be wary of anyone demanding immediate payments linked to utilities.
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