What Filomena has left
The historical virulence of the storm Filomena has exposed insufficient forecasts and great social inequality.
Although the ice will take several to melt and the weather forecast indicates that days of sub-zero temperatures will come, the worst of the storm has already passed through the peninsula, causing significant damage. Barajas airport was closed, part of the railroad was paralyzed, there was close to 700 affected roads, with thousands of cars, trucks and buses trapped for hours on the road. Madrid collapsed and was on the verge of being declared "Catastrophic zone". In its wake the snow has covered entire cities, but it has once again exposed existing social inequalities, how happens with the pandemic. While some were lucky enough to enjoy the snow making figures, throwing balls, skiing or improvising sleds on an avenue; Regrettably, there were others who suffered the inclement weather in poor living conditions in cities, villages and in the field.
At the same time that in social networks and the news, the postcards of the Cibeles multiplied, the Santiago Bernabéu or Gran Vía covered in white; in the poorest neighborhoods, like the Cañada Real, in the poor periphery of Madrid, there were about four thousand people who, without electricity for three months before, suffered on the brink of freezing. The company Naturgy, energy service provider, did not take charge of the situation arguing that in the area there is "Network overload" . The Madrid government responded with an improvised transfer plan to temporary shelters located in an old factory, something that was rejected by the neighbors who demanded the restitution of the supply, expressed their willingness to pay for electricity and to stay in their homes. Homeless people had a hard time, Like the workers who were induced to sleep precariously in their places of employment, to guarantee your presence the next day.
It is necessary to highlight the solidarity that was shown by the neighbors who helped people in emergency stuck in the snow, to ambulances and fire trucks, who reached blankets and food to those most in need. To the doctors and nurses who walked to the health centers to take care of the patients,
To top, in full storm, increased the cost of gas natural and I know shot the price of light a 27%. As is obvious, the cold forced a higher energy consumption for heating. Nevertheless, the companies capitalists do not consider the supply of electricity as one of the basic rights for life, but as one more commodity, subject to the rules From the market: the higher demand -with lower production of alternative energy- increase of the values in the invoices.
PSOE officials dedicated themselves to justifying their actions, some leaders of United We Can criticized the increases, but doing practically nothing to reverse them, far removed from their electoral promises against rate increases on essential public services. It is a pandemic, from a storm or an economic crisis, they always act with the same "double speech": critical and partial measures without substantive measures, that fix the profits of the IBEX35 companies above the needs of the great popular majorities.
When Pablo Iglesias was an opponent of the PP government, had come to propose the nationalization of energy companies, now that he is part of the government of "Progressive coalition" behind the PSOE, he no longer considers it so necessary. Both the vice president and his ministers become entangled in a tangle of reformist patches, that do not go to the bottom of any social issue, nor do they cause qualitative changes. In the middle of one of the worst economic crises of capitalism, of the serious consequences of Covid-19 and a historic snowstorm, they continue to worry mainly about satisfying the most powerful. It is necessary by law to prohibit power cuts in working-class and popular homes, impose an accessible social tariff and immediately reconnect the supply to those who have cut it. Private companies are a conglomerate of exploitation, pollution and expensive services that are mounted on the basis of profit criteria, to increase the fortune of a handful of privileged people over the needs of the great popular majorities. To have job, Health, education and energy, It is necessary to nationalize private companies without compensation, place them under planning, control and administration of its workers and users.
