The City Council of La Laguna yesterday held the institutional act of delivery of honors and distinctions to the people and entities that in recent years have been recognized by the plenary session of the Corporation. The mayor of La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, recalled that the restrictions of the pandemic had prevented to date from celebrating “with the necessary solemnity” an act that settles, he assured, “an outstanding debt with the people and entities whose trajectory is an example delivery and commitment.
Thus, the writer Nivaria Tejera was named Adoptive Daughter, while the writer Javier de la Rosa, the fighter Honorio García and the designer Luis Dávila were distinguished with the title of Favorite Son. In addition, the City Council awarded the City Gold Medal to the El Rosario de Valle de Guerra Wrestling Club and the Los Joroperos troupe. The event, held at the Teatro Leal, was attended by the President of the Parliament of the Canary Islands, Gustavo Matos, and a large part of the Municipal Corporation, among other authorities and representatives of civil society.
In intervention, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez stated that “San Cristóbal de La Laguna has prided itself, throughout its history, on being an open, welcoming city, jealous of its tradition but, at the same time, full of confidence in the future . A city that recognizes the merits of its people, that values the effort and dedication of its own”.
Luis Yeray Gutiérrez highlighted the unanimity of the entire Municipal Corporation when granting these distinctions. “There are no political colors when it comes to recognizing the professional and human merit of those who have carried out their work with love and generosity towards this city. It is La Laguna that is awarded today, by adding such valuable members to its list of its illustrious children”, said the mayor, before dedicating a few words to each of the winners.
Regarding Nivaria Tejera, the mayor recalled that, although Cuban by birth, “she can be considered with all due merit as a daughter of this city”, since when she was only one year old her family moved to La Laguna, where she spent her childhood and his early youth. In this city she set her first novel, The cliffin which he recounted his childhood experiences during the Civil War.
About the writer Javier de la Rosa Hernández, the municipal councilor pointed out that “he has demonstrated his expertise during a brilliant and extensive career in the universe of letters”, highlighting that thanks to this “craftsman of the word, the name of his hometown has repeatedly traveled the world thanks to his tireless dedication, which has been recognized by numerous international awards and an extraordinary nomination for the Nobel Prize for Literature.
In the world of Canarian Wrestling, the figure of Honorio García stands out, known by the nickname of Chaval II. “Experienced fighter, protagonist of Agarradas para la memoria, he formed an unforgettable sports couple with his brother José. His nobility and generosity extended long after he left the terreros, since he was a teacher and trainer of entire generations of fighters and props, ”said Luis Yeray Gutiérrez about the new Favorite Son of the City.
The same recognition went to the designer Luis Dávila, of whom the mayor highlighted “his enormous artistic gifts, his wisdom for design and his creativity without limits. Possessor of a very personal style, in which elegance and a sense of measure overflow, for decades Carnival Queens, comparsas, rondallas, musical groups and murgas have worn his spectacular designs”, praised the mayor, also recalling the facet of Luis Dávila as “firm defender of traditional Canarian dress”.
In the field of sports and Carnival, two City Gold Medals were awarded. The first of them to the El Rosario de Valle de Guerra Wrestling Club, which since its foundation in 1943 “has been a model of values such as nobility and tenacity, so deeply linked to Canarian Wrestling.” The mayor stressed that “in its almost eighty years of history, the Club, like the great fighters that form it, has known how to rise up in the face of adversity and is an example of effort and overcoming.”
About the Comparsa Los Joroperos Cultural Association, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez recalled that it is the “most international” group of the Tenerife Carnival. “Its contagious rhythms and surprising staging have carried the name of La Laguna throughout the geography of our country and much of Europe.” In 2022 they celebrate 50 years of full dedication to Carnival, “festivals that have contributed to magnify and spread. Not in vain, Los Joroperos are the troupe with the most awards in the history of the Carnival”, he indicated.
Meanwhile, the president of the Parliament of the Canary Islands expressed, during the act, that “La Laguna is, above all, its people. We are from the place where we are born, from the place where we grow up, but also from the place where we sow and from the place that welcomes us. All of you magnify the name of this municipality with your work; they are worthy ambassadors of La Laguna”.
Finally, a musical performance by the Joroperos and the duo formed by Miriam and Fernando Cruz put an end to the act.
