The Canary Islands Government considers that the Cuna del Alma tourist complex, which is being built in El Puertito de Adeje, “can be done, because it meets the planning and strategic environmental assessment requirements”. This was stated by the Deputy Minister of Ecological Transition, Miguel Ángel Pérez, in Parliament, who clarified that the situation occurs “today (yesterday)”.
Pérez said that in this project, to which the environmental movements and Sí Podemos Canarias are opposed, it is just as important to guarantee legal certainty ‘as everything else’, in reference to environmental protection. Specifically, he assured that this project is developed on developable land, a cataloging that he has had for forty years. In any case, it is up to Parliament to change “the rules of the game,” the deputy minister specified.
He recognized that some of the species that are in the urbanizable sector is part of the Canarian catalog of protected species and are in the area of special protection, but it is neither in danger of extinction, nor is it vulnerable, nor is it in the catalog of protected species at the national level, he pointed out.
In his appearance, Miguel Ángel Pérez clarified that he cannot speak about the urbanization project “Because the powers of environmental evaluation of the project and the absolute processing of the entire environmental and territorial planning procedure correspond to the city council” or, in the case of protected natural spaces, to the councils. All this, since 2017.
As a result of a question from the spokesman for Sí Podemos, Manuel Marrero, the Deputy Minister for the Fight against Climate Change and Ecological Transition maintained that, according to the information that the Cabildo has transferred, in lhe area there is a species that needs special protection, although it is not vulnerable or in danger of extinction, alluding to the sad viborina or tajinaste del cardonal. “There are species that, due to their special protection, if you want to do an activity, you will have to carry out a series of conditions.” On whether these conditions have been met, he pointed out that “we have no information.”
However, he warns that he must introduce environmental conditions
The Canarian Agency for the Protection of the Natural Environment has opened an investigation and “we are at the expense of that investigation to find out if the procedure carried out by local administrations strictly complies” with current legislation.
Manuel Marrero said that his group places its trust in the Ministry so that the urbanization of Puertito de Adeje is paralyzed, due to non-compliance with environmental requirements. The spokesperson for Sí Podemos Canarias denounced that the Adeje City Council, with the favor or lack of diligence of the Cabildo, continues with “this private project to destroy a protected part of the island of Tenerife.”
It should be remembered that, in a resolution issued on August 31 by the general director, Nona Perera, the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage of the regional Executive opened a sanctioning file against the promoter of the 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, which amounts to 600,000 euros.
