Following the recent airing of the documentary _7291_ on TVE's La 2 and 24 Horas channels, the dispute between Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the president of the Community of Madrid, and the national government has intensified.

This conflict arises after the regional government reduced the reported number of COVID-19 related deaths in care homes from 7,291 to 4,100, five years into the pandemic's impact.

Óscar López, the secretary general of PSOE-M and Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Administration, has accused Ayuso's government of 'obscuration, denial, and persecution' of the families of deceased residents.

Minister of Health, Mónica García, stated that Ayuso had 'abandoned the elderly in care homes and later the families in their mourning.'

In contrast, Ayuso sought to modify the documentary's narrative and criticized the unprecedented coverage by RTVE following the documentary's release.

She stated that the presented death toll figure is 'invented and false,' expressing her outrage at RTVE's extensive broadcast efforts, which she claims misrepresents the families' pain.

In an interview with Cope, Ayuso mentioned receiving messages from families who request not to have their loved ones used in this manner.

Ayuso garnered support from Borja Sémper, the deputy secretary of Culture and spokesperson for the PP, who labeled the left's attempts to pin the care home deaths on Ayuso as 'obscene.' He condemned the ongoing utilization of grief as a political weapon against the regional president.

In a bid for accountability, López articulated two expectations of Ayuso: to apologize for the handling of care home residents and to resign from her position.

He asserted that the lack of empathy demonstrated by her administration after five years warrants an apology to the victims' families.

López emphasized the decision by Ayuso's government not to transfer patients from care homes to public hospitals, highlighting the documentary's considerable viewership that night—a reported 15% overall and 25% in Madrid.

Mónica García, in an interview with TVE, affirmed that it is 'proven' that the elderly residents in Madrid were 'abandoned' due to their non-transfer to hospitals, demanding reparations from Ayuso.

She criticized the fact that Madrid implemented a non-transfer protocol for elderly citizens and urged inquiries into the reasons behind its creation, as well as the subsequent concealment.

Ayuso has linked the documentary's release to what she perceives as a relentless obsession from the national government, particularly President Pedro Sánchez, against the Community of Madrid.

She argued that a specific alarm was generated for the region during the pandemic, creating a false narrative of Madrid as a viral hotspot.

Defending her administration, Ayuso criticized the central government for its lack of timely measures in the initial months of the pandemic.

She suggested that Madrid acted decisively amidst inaction from the central authorities and pointed out a financial investigation into ministerial malpractice that has emerged from the pandemic period.

She expressed dissatisfaction with the portrayal of Madrid, stating that the portrayal was deliberately misleading.

Moreover, Enrique Ruiz Escudero, the regional Health Minister, condemned the use of RTVE as a platform for what he called an attack on Madrid.

He asserted that the government had firsthand knowledge of the situation in care homes and labeled the documentary's approach as a poor decision by public television.

Sémper concluded that while the pandemic response included both successful and detrimental actions, efforts to undermine Ayuso are largely orchestrated by those who oversaw significant governmental responsibilities at that time.

He pointed out former Transportation Minister José Luis Ábalos, who is currently facing legal scrutiny, contrasting it with ongoing allegations against Ayuso, which have been dismissed by the judiciary.