The counselor of Culture, Tourism and Sports of the Community of Madrid, Mariano de Paco, reiterated this Sunday that the Metro station of Sol will be closed "if health problems are found again." He defended that the closure was adopted following a "technical report" that recommended cleaning work and has again demanded the eviction of the encampment for housing set up in the square.
"This illegal encampment is not only attacking the heritage and the free movement of people, but also their health. This encampment cannot be maintained any longer. It is showing clear signs that it is affecting all citizens of this region," the counselor pointed out during his participation in the Sports Days for the Fight against Breast Cancer.
His statements come after CCOO demanded "responsibilities" and to know "the true reason" for the closure of the Metro station of Madrid of Sol during the day on Friday and part of Saturday. The station resumed operations this Saturday at 11:00 PM, after being closed since 12:15 PM on Friday due to the high levels of ammonia detected "after objectively and documentarily confirming, with the results of the analyses, that the necessary safety and health conditions have been restored."
De Paco has again criticized the Government Delegation and insisted that the delegate, Francisco Martín, should "take action, fulfill his mission, and dissolve the encampment," which, in his opinion, "clearly" should not continue at Puerta del Sol because it "lost its purpose" and is maintained only for "a political end."
The regional official explained that the station was reopened last night after "solving the problem," but emphasized that the source of the problem is "the encampment" and the activities taking place there. "Surely it will have to be closed again if health problems persist," he warned. He stressed that the closure order was based on a "technical report" from Metro and warned that, although the incident has now been resolved, "as long as the encampment persists, the problem will persist and will happen again."
In his opinion, the camp currently has as its only objective to generate "a politically sponsored harm" by the president of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and by the Government delegate himself. For this reason, he has urged them again to dissolve it "as soon as possible," considering that it is "attacking the heritage of all Madrid residents."
In the same vein, the delegate of Social Policies, Family, and Equality of the Madrid City Council, José Fernández, has explained that the City Council has sent another letter to the Government Delegation to warn of the "security risks" existing in the square, where, as he described, there are "aggressive and extremist people." "Once again, the Government delegate is making a very serious neglect of duties," he denounced.
In statements to the media, Fernández has condemned that the campers prevent access to municipal services because they have their own "security." "What needs to happen is to lift that camp and, of course, we, regarding homeless people, will act with the corresponding municipal resources. But for that, we need to lift an illegal camp that has a security that does not allow entry," he added.
Finally, he has lashed out at the statements of the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, whom he accuses of dedicating himself to "insulting other administrations and, in particular, if they are from the Popular Party" instead of "worrying" about the flooding or the situation of Cercanías.