The General Directorate of Cultural Heritage of the Canary Islands Government opens a sanctioning file against the company Segunda Casas Adeje SL, promoter of the Cuna del Alma tourist complex, for affecting the works carried out on engravings and destroying archaeological remains. The proposed sanction is the maximum foreseen for very serious infractions: 600,000 euros. The company has 15 days to present allegations, according to the resolution issued on August 31 by the general director of Cultural Heritage of the regional government, Nona Perera.
The Canarian Government confirms this and justifies the sanction based on the “intentionality” that it perceives in the promoter when starting the work in El Puertito de Adeje “without the corresponding favorable report (on archaeological heritage) from the Cabildo de Tenerife”, as well as “without the advice of an archaeologist on site”, in addition to “without taking into account the conclusions provided by the archaeological intervention that the company itself had commissioned”. All this, “with full knowledge” of the remains in the area.
There are four archaeological units partially or totally destroyed by the works in the Puertito de Armeñime. In addition to assessing in her report that these damages are “irreversible”, the general director of Cultural Heritage assured the EFE agency yesterday that “there is no possibility of replacing the damage, of collecting the fragments. The shovel took everything.”
The assessment of the regional Executive coincides with the Insular Directorate of Planning of the Territory and Historical Heritage of the Cabildo de Tenerife, which on May 30 paralyzed, in a precautionary manner (firmly on June 28), 2% of the works, current measure . In its Administrative Service of Historical Heritage there are two unfavorable reports of the project in archaeological matters, issued in 2014 and 2017.
On July 22, a group of activists (including scientists and experts) started a camp demanding the stoppage of work and, on the 28th of the same month, several chained themselves to the bulldozers. After knowing yesterday the opening of the sanctioning file by the Canarian Government, Podemos Adeje requested the resignation of Manuel Luis Méndez, councilor for Ecological Transition and “responsible for the start-up of the macro project”.
The complaint filed by the Tegüico Heritage Association before the Cabildo led to an inspection in the area where the work is being carried out, which took place on May 24, the day after the complaint was received via WhatsApp. It is the origin of the situation in which this project finds itself, for which, on September 26, 2014, the Adeje City Council initiated the modification of the planning in force at the time. The purpose was to carry out the Development Plan for El Puertito de Adeje.
On May 5, the first stone of the unique tourist project Cuna del Alma was laid in El Puertito de Adeje. With an investment of 350 million euros, it consists of 420 accommodation units in 437,000 square meters. The first phase of the work includes 108 residences (cottage houses, beach apartments, 20 villas and 18 large villas) that will border the beach and its completion is scheduled for 2025, as announced by the promoters during the protocol act.
