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My husband sent me an e-mail that said 'call me when you can'.
I saw that mail two hours later, and then he told me that my nephew had been in the crashed subway...
...and she was severely injured. He only told me about my nephew.
Then I phoned my sister, but she obviously didn't answer.
The 3rd of July 2006, the worst subway crash in Spain history occured in Valencia. 43 people died and 47 were severely injured.
(Newspaper editor) The first news we had was that there had been a subway crash...
...and there were victims, so we sent a journalist and a photographer.
(Newspaper editor) We were informed that a subway train was stopped inside a tunnel.
(Journalist) The number of victims kept increasing.
They told us there were 2 or 3, then 5, then 10...
When they said 15, I couldn't believe it.
The said it was very serious and that many people had died.
We then sent more journalists to the scene.
41 people died. Other 2 people died later in hospital.
Three weeks after the crash, the inquiry committee was consituted in Valencian Parliament.
It was the shortest inquiry in Valencian parliamentary history.
Documentation and testimonies requested by opposition parties were vetoed by Government.
The inquiry committee started on July 16th, just 23 days after the crash. 32 testimonies appeared in 4 days.
[Socialist Party] People were still dying!
Since the crash until the start of the inquiry there were still one or two more deceased.
We didn't know the final number of casualties.
[United Left Party] With the excuse of the beginning of summer holidays, they imposed a breakneck speed.
[United Left Party] A term of 4 days was stablished to debate all the testimonies.
It was the shortest inquiry committee in the history of Valencian Parliament.
We need more time if we really want to know what has happened.
If we really want to know what is to be done to prevent it from happening again.
[People's Party] You don't care that this is the inquiry committee with the largest number of sessions ever.
You don't care that it has more testimonies than any other in the history of this Parliament.
Your only aim is to extend the works of this committee.
There were inconceivable vetoes. I believe that they didn't want any contrary view to their truth.
The number of testimonies and documentation that have been vetoed, the small time to review them...
You say you trust forensics, but you have vetoed the appereance of forensic chief inspector in this inquiry committee.
You trust them this much.
The People's Party didn't want to have an inquiry committee. They'll respond 'we had it'.
No, no. You made a simulation, the committee was a humbug.
How come that all the testimonies are related to the metro company, and therefore to the People's Party...
...and they all have the same exact opinion?
You are at the top of the pyramid, and logically agree with your subordinates.
The coincidence is very exact, though, all the testimonies are very alike.
You talk about the coincidence of our testimonies, and you should consider whether this coincidence means we are saying the truth.
You don't like us to contradict each others, you don't like us not to say what you want to hear.
And then you say that we have agreed to say it, and that is not true.
In February 2012, the newspaper 'El Mundo' published a document made by a consulting firm:
Experts paid by subway company trained the metro workers so that the said that the tragedy had been an accident.
[Newspaper editor] One of the workers leaked us the document, which spoke for itself.
It revealed that there were even some words that they weren't allowed to say.
The answers were perfectly structured.
Whatever they ask to you, your aim is to state that it has been an accident.
I don't remember the exact words.
The worst thing is that the metro manager systematically denied this training, when there is a document that proves it.
I have obviously met my mangement team many times during this past month.
It wasn't to plot a strategy for this inquiry committee, but to find out what happened on July 3rd...
...and which measures we will take to solve things.
This preparation turned into indoctrination: 'you are not free to say what you want, but what I want you to say'.
'Don't falter. If there is cross-examination, say the same again, keeping the same shape and concept.'
It's like telling a robot what to do when facing the Parliament!
I knew they were lying to me. Not only that: they knew the questions to be asked by the People's Party.
The breaking system is safe for this metro line. The metro line is safe.
'All metro workers must say exactly the same.'
My conclusion is clear: the metro line is safe.
I believe that the metro line is safe.
No safety system can avoid an accident at 100%.
This is undeniable.
'If there are 43 victims, don't you think that something failed?'
The prepared answer is 'no'.
100% safety doesn't exist, we all know that. There are no safe systems.
Theres is no system that ensures 100% safety.
No safety system can guarantee 100% lack of crashes.
Nobody can guarantee that. Nobody.
There are crashes regardless of the safety system.
In Paris metro there was a crash with another system.
'If cross-examination, talk about Paris case.'
Metro workers have said that the fundamental cause was speeding, and that the line is safe.
'All metro workers statements must be coordinated with inquiries by the Government.'
[Metro manager] I'm at peace with myself. I know it was an accident and couldn't be avoided.
Your concept of responsability is different to mine.
During the inquiry committee, we the victims needed the truth.
We were deprived of this right by a 4-day pantomime where the People's Party vetoed information...
...which was indispensable to know the causes of the crash.
We have recently known that the metro workers were indoctrinated about what they could and couldn't say.
And they celebrated their performance with a seafood meal.
Together, we have created a very dangerous precedent:
"Leaders, do whatever you want with our money. Manage public services any way you want, everything seems fine to us...
...43 people die but nobody resigns. There is disinformation, nobody stands up, but do whatever you want, it's still OK to us."
Today we need our society to wake up, we all have to take our responsibility to change things.
The association have tried it for 6 years, and we want to harness a day like today to encourage you all to try it, each one in your field.
Speak out against anything used to hide the truth and to make things work bad. We promise to stand here until we get answers.
We are still awaiting answers.
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