On December 1, 2011, many families in l'Aldea saw their savings blocked, an impact they still suffer from today. This economic collapse created a deficit of 7 million euros, of which 4.6 million corresponded directly to members' deposits. The situation was particularly dramatic for farmers, who had entrusted their life savings to the cooperative.
“"It was a very strong shock for our town; imagine we are talking about a lifetime's savings, the result of years of hard work in the fields, of sweat, and we couldn't believe we had lost them overnight."
The bankruptcy caused some families to be left without resources for basic needs, such as buying food, and even had to move in with relatives. Miquel Carles, president of the cooperative for the last ten years, recalls that 'in some cases, a lifetime's economy was reduced to zero.' The mayor, Xavier Royo, described the town as 'a ghost town' at the time.
Investigations point to reckless management, risky investments, insufficient controls, and accounting irregularities as the main causes of the disaster. The main accused is the former manager, Daniel Ferré, for whom the prosecution is seeking fourteen years in prison for crimes such as accounting fraud, commercial document forgery, asset stripping, punishable insolvency, and misappropriation. Ferré started as an accountant in 1981 and was appointed manager in 1996, gaining general power for all cooperative operations in 2004.
Nine other individuals and one legal entity, Bankia (formerly Caja Madrid), are also under investigation, with a fine of 14 million euros being sought against the latter. Among the accused are Antonio Fornós and Manuela Buera, former director and deputy director of the Caja Madrid branch, facing requests for three and a half years in prison. The auditing firm BDO Auditores and its head, Juan Carlos Torres, are also implicated for accounting fraud.
Thanks to the management of the new board of directors, approximately 3 million euros of the initial 7 million have been recovered, through the launch of the cooperative's store and the rental of facilities. The l'Aldea City Council has also collaborated, acquiring a warehouse and modifying urban planning regulations to facilitate the sale of land. In early 2023, Caixabank offered 2.1 million euros to avoid a criminal trial, but the opposition of four individuals prevented the agreement.
20% of the affected members have already died without seeing the situation resolved. Enric's father is one of them. Members who signed the progressive savings return agreement, in force between 2018 and 2025 and currently extended, have recovered 19.5% of their money. The judicial ruling is seen as an opportunity to close a painful chapter for many families and for the town of l'Aldea.
