For the first time in five years of the 'residence case', a judge has heard specifics about how the top brass of the Community of Madrid made critical decisions regarding the crisis in care homes, where thousands passed away without hospitalization. Antonio Burgueño, the former advisor to President Isabel Díaz Ayuso, testified this Tuesday about a meeting on March 11, 2020, at the presidency's headquarters in Sol, attended by Ayuso and three senior officials: the then Health and Finance Ministers, Enrique Ruiz Escudero and Javier Lasquetty, along with chief of staff Miguel Ángel Rodríguez.

Burgueño stated that during this meeting, he was tasked with leading the pandemic response, according to sources familiar with his testimony. This was just a day before Escudero announced in a press conference that elderly residents would be treated in care homes rather than hospitals.

The testimony, which scrutinizes Ayuso's decision-making and her close team, was abruptly halted when the judge accepted the prosecutor's request for suspension. The prosecutor believed the witness might be implicated, necessitating legal representation. Upon leaving Leganés courthouse, Burgueño refrained from media comments but shared cryptic words with an activist who followed him: “Sometimes others might lie, but I don't. I've spent 83 years speaking my truths.”

The judicial hearings of the residence case have intensified as judges begin to charge high-ranking officials within Ayuso's administration. Two weeks ago, a judge from Plaza de Castilla charged three former officials, and this Leganés case marks the second such procedure. Though Monday saw only witnesses testify, on Tuesday, June 17, three ex-officials are set to appear as suspects: Carlos Mur and Javier Martínez Peromingo, linked to the infamous “protocols of shame,” and Pablo Busca, director of Summa 112 (ambulance services).

Attorneys representing affected families anticipate similar actions from other judges in separate cases. Since 2020, numerous judges in Madrid have received complaints from families, yet charges against crisis management personnel have only materialized this year after families pursued a fresh strategy, alleging discrimination in accessing public services. Previously, they attempted to charge crimes like reckless homicide or failure to provide aid, which were harder to substantiate.

Besides Burgueño, Alberto Reyero, former Social Policy Minister responsible for care homes, and Juan Abarca, president of private healthcare group HM Hospitales, have testified.

Breaking news in development.

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