The Owner of El Ventorro: "Mazón and Vilaplana Left Between 18:30 and 19:00. I Believe There Were No More Customers"

The owner of El Ventorro, Alfredo Romero, has become a notable figure in the investigation into the management of the dana. The restaurant, known in political, business, and even journalistic circles, has been in the spotlight since it was revealed that Carlos Mazón and Maribel Vilaplana dined there on the day of the tragedy. The establishment and its owners are among the collateral 'victims' of the disaster. This Friday, his testimony aims to clarify whether he overheard any conversations the president had about the meteorological phenomenon.

The witness stated that he knows Mazón because he is a regular customer. "They called me from the Generalitat to reserve the meal," he recalled about the event. It was two or three days before the controversial meeting. The diners were not specified, only a table for the president. They dined on the first floor, in a private room. "That's how they requested it."

Mazón was the first to arrive, followed by the journalist. "The president might have arrived at 14:15 or 14:30." At El Ventorro, "he entered alone," thus dismissing claims that he was accompanied by bodyguards, as the president had indicated in his congressional testimony. The president had water and olives while waiting for Vilaplana to arrive.

Around 15:00, their order was taken. "It's a rectangular space, not a closed room, it doesn't have a door." The judge and some accusations have focused on understanding the room's dimensions, especially to assess whether it was possible for someone, in this case, Vilaplana, not to hear the president's conversations.

"They left between 18:30 and 19:00," he emphasized. He believes it was around that time because the staff had already left. "Before it started raining, I told them to leave," he said regarding his employees. There were no more customers than Mazón and Vilaplana, although he couldn't precisely recall this detail.

The declarant noted that the invoice was sent to the Popular Party. It was done the next day or even two days later. "No ticket with time was sent," he specified. The waiter entered the private room seven or eight times. "I don't remember seeing him on the phone. I have no image of that," he stated.

The restaurateur recounted the episode when he brought up an envelope - a messenger from the Generalitat had delivered it there - for the president to sign. It was documentation for students classified as elite athletes, as recently confirmed by the Presidency.

El Ventorro has no coverage issues with Movistar, although it does detect some incidents with other companies. The restaurant owner described the meal as "normal" in terms of duration. From his experience, he believes the meal itself would have ended around 16:45 or 17:00. During that time, the owner entered the private room on a few occasions to see if they needed anything. "It was like any other day. I didn't see him worried or in a hurry."

The witness stated that there is no television in his restaurant. He was not aware of the weather developments that day, but he did know it was going to rain. One of the workers, upon leaving for home, called to say that the water was knee-high. "Then we moved some of the stock upstairs." However, he recalled customer comments to the contrary: "With the forecast, not a drop."

The restaurateur lamented the media pressure on his family and the restaurant. For this reason, he did not want to provide an image of that private room. The restaurant and the witness's home are in the same building. The upper floors are used for housing.

The businessman noted that the president arrived wearing a jacket and carrying a backpack. "He always carries it."