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Echeverría highlights the importance of having people committed to the public and to the service of citizenship

09/12/2025

- The government delegate said this at today’s award ceremony.

- The General Director of Civil Protection and Emergencies, Virginia Barcones, has attended.

The delegate of the Government in Navarre, Alicia Echeverría, has assured today that “in these complex times, of so much polarization, it reconciles us with humanity to have examples of good people, committed to the public and to the welfare of the citizens.” She spoke in this way during the ceremony of handing over the Cross medals of the Order of Isabel the Catholic and the Civil Protection merit medals, which was attended by the Director General of Civil Protection and Emergencies of the Ministry of the Interior, Virginia Barcones.

The government delegate stressed that recognized people represent those values “that enlarge us as a society: empathy, solidarity, courage or the vocation of public service”. “You are the best example of what the security forces and bodies of the State represent,” said Echeverría, who has assured that, in times of special difficulty, such as last summer’s fires or the DANA of 2024, it is where the work carried out by the police as “guarantors of the rights and freedoms of the citizenry in its broadest conception” is most appreciated.

For her part, the general director of Civil Protection, Virginia Barcones, highlighted the solidarity of Navarre that has been particularly visible, she said, in catastrophes such as DANA and the fires. In addition, he has valued the strength of the National Civil Protection System and praised the commitment, altruism and courage of those who are part of it. An example, he pointed out, “for a society that is built on referents.” “A safer country is built with facts, responsibility and humanity,” Barcones concluded.

Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic

VALENTÍN VELASCO CARRASCO. Secretary General of the Government Delegation in Navarre from September 2008 until his death in January 2025. This medal recognizes his exemplary professional career, marked by unwavering ethics, a constant commitment to public service and a total dedication to his responsibilities, even in very complex personal circumstances.

Medals to the Merit of Civil Protection

MIRIAM CASTAÑO SANTAMARÍA and MERCY MOLINA VILLAR. Civil Guards, serving on the body’s VIOGEN Team since December 2021, are responsible for providing comprehensive care to women victims of gender-based violence. They stand out for their special sensitivity, commitment and dedication, and their permanent availability.

NURIA MAZO RANDO. National Police, has a long professional career, both in the area of Judicial Police, and in Scientific Police. His training in investigating reports of missing persons and major catastrophes stands out. He has received various distinctions, decorations and congratulations.

JOSÉ ALBERTO SÁNCHEZ TORRES. A Civil Guard assigned to the Judicial Police Team of Estella, in February 2024, while off duty, intervened in the face of a suicide attempt that was warned by a woman in the middle of the street. After talking to her, she managed to find the man who had tried to commit suicide still alive.

JAIME DOMINGO PÉREZ GARAIZÁBAL. In February 2025, the National Police rescued a person who was trapped in a fire in an abandoned house that was very difficult to access. In 2021 he had another outstanding performance when he helped a person who was about to die accidentally run over by a truck.

EDGAR ROYO SESMA AND ARTURO REBOLEIRO BALBOA. Civil Guards of the Roca de Tafalla Team, in February 2025, assisted two people who had been trapped inside a damaged vehicle in a flooded area and who did not dare to leave due to poor visibility and not knowing the depth of the water in the area.