The war between the central government and the Madrid City Council because of the situation of 500 homeless people who spend the night in terminal 4 of Barajas airport was intensified during the day on Friday with a serious crossing of accusations between the mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, and the president of Aena, Maurici Lucena. This last convened an emergency press conference on Friday afternoon and announced that the public company will go to the contentious-administrative route before what you consider A “absence of functions” of the Madrid town hall. At the same time, he accused the first mayor of “mismanagement.”
Meanwhile, the response of Cibeles did not wait and, minutes after the conclusion of the press conference, they described as “unpresentable” the aforementioned call and They accused Aena of “politically using the most vulnerable people” and to exercise “harassment to people living or spent the night at the airport.”
In the middle of the crossing of accusations, The way to the judicial route undertook its first steps In accordance with the Law on the Litigation-Administrative Jurisdiction, a previous requirement before the matter ends in the hands of a judge.
«AENA will send a formal requirement to the Madrid City Council, as a competent public administration, so that fulfill its functions of attention to this vulnerable group of homeless», Said the president of Aena, Maurici Lucena. In this way, he insisted, Barajas “asks the public authorities to amounted to meet the legal obligations of the Madrid City Council.”
The emergency press conference was convened after, on Friday morning, the Madrid councilor instant the government of Spain to “assume their responsibility”, to stop “Wash your hands” and “to address the solution” for homeless people.
«Here they will not be able to say that it is a private operator, as they say with Red Eléctrica. Aena is public, the government has control and What is happening there depends on several ministries”He said from the Plaza de la Villa in the framework of the municipal events of Europe.
The president of Aena, Maurici Lucena.Antonio Heredia
Before the words of the mayor, Lucena said: “As an airport management company we feel legally helpless,” and took advantage of launch an ultimatum to Martínez-Almeida that would prevent the ball from definitely transferred to the courts and that it was a judge who had to pronounce on who is the competent body to address the situation of these homeless people.
«If the mayor of Madrid and the City Council rectify And in the next few hours they let us know, as is their legal obligation, Aena will continue to collaborate with them as he has done so far, ”Lucena warned.
Far from calming the spirits or translating in an approach of positions, the judicial route for the resolution of the problem raised by AENA found a blunt response by the delegate of Social Policies, Family and Equality of the City of Madrid, José Fernández. «What is pure hypocrisy is the performance of the president of AENA and with him of the Government of Spain, which demonstrates repeated inefficiency next to the case of the train blackout ».
Also, from Cibeles they insisted that “to date, no ministry has offered any social solution in Barajas.” And they affirmed that «The government has only changed these people on the plant in the terminal to hide the problem under the carpet ».
An exchange of accusations during which Cibeles came to affirm that from Aena (dependent on the central government) «Hostage is taking place Towards people who live or spend the night at the airport, with reinforcement in access controls, prohibition of passage, withdrawal of banks and cancellation of plugs, among other measures ».
An exchange that marks the nth discharge of mutual responsibility between the municipal administration and the central government dependent entity. Meanwhile, hundreds of homeless people will sleep tonight at terminal 4 of Barajas airport.
