English soldiers surrendered again 225 years later. Santa Cruz de Tenerife recalled yesterday the act that marked the end of the battle in which the chicharreros They managed to defeat the troops commanded by Admiral Horacio Nelson and prevent the island from falling under the rule of the British crown. The Plaza de la Candelaria was the setting chosen to recreate the moment in which the capitulation act was signed and shortly after 12:00 in the morning, the British and Tenerife battalions paraded towards the meeting point to seal the peace between both sides.
A staging that after two years marked by the pandemic could be held again in the streets of the city and was open to anyone who wanted to get closer.. Despite the intense heat that encouraged people to take refuge in the shade, many onlookers came to watch what was about to happen with attentive eyes. Among them, quite a few boys and girls who never ceased to be amazed by the period costumes and the weapons that accompany the members of the Historical-Cultural Gesta Association of July 25, 1797, which each year is responsible for keeping alive the legacy of the who fought in that historic battle.
In the event that took place yesterday honors were also paid to those who lost their lives in those days of 1797 and as has been customary for some years without distinction of nationality, that is, in addition to paying tribute to the Canarians and French who perished in the fighting, the same was also done with the English, as witnessed by the three flags that paraded together moments before that the crown of flowers was deposited. The salvos of the chicharrero battalion celebrated the triumph of the island troops over the British and put the finishing touch to the tribute to those who gave their lives in that battle.
“We have defended Santa Cruz, long live General Gutiérrez!” the soldiers shouted once the reenactment was over. Some cheers that drew the applause of the attendees, who transmitted to the members of the association the warmth of an audience that has remained absent due to the restrictions linked to the pandemic.
The re-enactment of the Gesta returned to the streets of the city this weekend in a year that marks an important date, the 225th anniversary of the victory. Lhe acts of commemoration started last Friday with the parade of the Tenerife battalion to the Black Castle and the recreation of the landing of the English troops. On Saturday, the historic center of the capital was the scene of the battles that took place between the inhabitants of Tenerife and the invaders, in which not only troops participated but also the civilian population of the island who did not hesitate to defend the city. Some combats that ended with the chicharrera victory and in which Rear Admiral Nelson was injured, who lost his left arm.
At the signing of the capitulation, staged yesterday, today joins the act in honor of the British fallen by the Nelson Society and the mass in the parish of La Concepción and a procession of the image of the Apostle Santiago, where floral offerings will be made on Cruz Verde street and at the monument to General Gutiérrez.
