González underlines “the complexity of a file of this type”, but highlights the drive of people like Alvaro Fajardo, which has joined the Drago Technical Committee, and that in the past it has been “one of the great promoters of this file that, until now, has not finished materializing”. His intention is, with the help of this committee, to overcome “this pending issue.”
After the moratorium on new files announced by the Government of Spain this year, which will enter into force in February 2022 and will last until at least February 2027, Francis Gonzalez does not want to set deadlines. “This is a very complex matter, which we cannot take lightly or superficially. But it is one of our objectives “, underlines the nationalist president.
If, once the file has been initiated, the experts consider that the Drago of Icod It does not have the possibility of obtaining this recognition from UNESCO, González is in favor of analyzing what other type of international evaluation it can receive. González underlines that “we have to see where it fits, with a study and some conscientious work, which can now be resumed after very hard times due to the pandemic, which have hampered many initiatives.”
The initiative has been considered, without success, in 1993, 2002, 2011 and 2017
«It is within our objectives, the Drago de Icod deserves international recognition. It continues to be one of the most visited attractions in the whole of the Canary Islands and a living being with unique characteristics ”, González says. At present it aspires to be Spain’s Tree of the Year 2022 and, later, to fight for this title in Europe. At the moment he is one of the 11 chosen by this contest promoted by Bosques sin Fronteras, in collaboration with the Ministry of Ecological Transition.
The idea that the Drago de Icod could be recognized by UNESCO as an element of world interest began to be considered in 1993, 28 years ago, but despite the various announcements, it has never finished materializing in a supporting report that endorse this distinction. This specimen of Dracaena draco It is since 1917 a natural monument of national interest.
In 2002, the preparation of a dossier began but was never completed. The project was resumed in 2011 at the initiative of Álvaro Fajardo, with the endorsement of the Drago Park Technical Committee, but it did not bear fruit either. In September 2017, CC elevated it to the plenary session of Icodean. The PP also took her to Senate and received the unanimous support of the Culture Commission. Four years later, the local government (CC-Cs) advocates retaking this old goal.
We will have to wait until 2027
The Council of Historical Heritage of the Government of Spain decided in April 2021 to suspend for five years the processing of any file of new candidatures to the World Heritage list, which would paralyze the start of the official processing of the file of the dragon tree until at least 2027. of Icod, as has also paralyzed the initiative that the Villa de La Orotava launched in August 2015 to become a World Heritage Site with the category of Cultural Landscape and Mixed Asset. At the moment they will only give effect to the candidacy already in process of the olive grove landscapes in Andalusia, which Spain will present to Unesco in February 2022, and from there the agreed suspension will begin to apply.
