Three activists against the works of the Cradle of the Soul tourism macroprojectwhich intends to urbanize with hotels and 420 luxury villas (among other infrastructures) more than 400,000 square meters in the ravine and the beach of the port of Adeje, They have interrupted this Friday, September 30, the development of the plenary session of the Cabildo de Tenerife. “They have not listened to us for more than two months. If we are here it is because we can no longer. For this reason, we interrupted today in the Cabildo in front of the president, so that he listens to us for the first time”, María González, one of the protagonists of the event, shared on her social networks.
Podemos asks the Cabildo de Tenerife to study possible criminal responsibilities in Puertito de Adeje
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This action comes as a consequence of the events experienced this week around the camping that is taking place in the Puertito. It should be remembered that it was in the early hours of last Monday when a group of security guards and workers from the Cuna del Alma works showed up at the camp to forcibly remove the mechanical shovel that the activists had managed to paralyze.
The campers then denounced having suffered attacks by these people and decided to go to the project offices to protest, finding themselves in an even more tense situation, with the presence of the Civil Guard and being the protagonists of an attack by the project director. Andres Munoz.
As can be seen in a video, Muñoz grabbed one of the activists by the neck and threw them to the ground, who filed the corresponding complaint. She was precisely one of the three women who interrupted the normal development of the plenary session this Friday.
The president of the insular institution, Pedro Martín (PSOE), tried to stop the intervention arguing that “it was not planned.” “If you think so, both I and the rest of the groups have no problem listening to them after the plenary session, two minutes, five or whatever is necessary,” he told them. Martín proposed a meeting on this day, “without any problem.”
María José Belda, spokesperson for Sí Podemos, wanted to offer her turn to speak so that the activists could express themselves. However, the president warned that this action is not contemplated in the regulation. “If we do it, tomorrow any group or private person will say that they want to speak, and it is their right, but it is not coordinated like this,” he continued. Afterwards, he was called to the security guards.
As promised by the president, the activists achieved their goal: to explain their position to the group during a break.
They haven’t listened to us for more than two months. Enduring lies, injustices, violence. If we are here it is because we can no longer. That is why we interrupted today in the town hall in front of the president, so that he would listen to us for the first time. pic.twitter.com/A9SUTqt5ws
– María González (@MaraGlezAcosta) September 30, 2022
Thus, the president of the Cabildo de Tenerife defended the “agility” and speed of the corporation to intervene in the development of the Cuna del Alma urban project just 24 hours after receiving the complaint from a heritage association, although he warned that paralyze the complete works, even in a precautionary way, would be an act of prevarication.
In his appearance before the Plenary, he made an account of the historical processing of the project and recognized, among other things, the lack of an archaeological report in the area.
Martín pointed out that the Cabildo promoted the precautionary stoppage of the works once the “serious damage” to the heritage was known -later it was partially lifted and now only affects 2% of the land- and he understands that the greatest competition is now in the hands of the General Directorate of Heritage of the Government of the Canary Islands, managed by Yes We Can, which so far has only opened a sanction file amounting to 600,000 euros.
Along these lines, he regretted that the Cabildo does not have “any clear and exhaustive communication” and specified that it needs legal reports that support the total suspension of the works so that “no court knocks it down.”
Martín has recognized that “the machinery is stopped and no works are being carried out”, but he has indicated that the Cabildo “does not give licenses to build a hotel or approve partial plans, “it only reports on what it is responsible for” and, in that sense , has wondered what the General Directorate of Heritage is going to do, which is the one who “has the file in its hands”.
“We will paralyze the works if you tell us, but any step requires reports endorsed by officials,” he added, stressing that the matter “is in the hands” of the general director, Nona Perera.
María José Belda, spokesperson for Sí Podemos, has said that “the heritage value of the area has been hidden” during the planning process and requested a report from the legal services of the Cabildo to evaluate the criminal proceedings against the promoters of Cuna del Alma .
He has demanded the total suspension of the works because the Cabildo “deliberately withheld” information, questioning the role of Cotmac in the approval of the partial review of the PGO because there were irregularities.
It has also been asked if the director of the project, Andrés Muñoz, incurred in “incompatibility” as manager of Metrotenerife by acknowledging that he had been working on its planning for “many years”.
Belda has criticized the treatment that activists have received in the area and has insisted that “everything is illegal” regarding this project, with up to two contrary reports by officials of the corporation.
He has valued the “precedent” of the sanction of 600,000 euros imposed by the Government of the Canary Islands and has blamed CC for not properly supervising the processing of the project when the nationalists occupied the presidency of the Cabildo. “We are assuming the errors of previous mandates”, he has commented.
Belda: “It is a shame to continue selling this land”
Belda has highlighted that “it is a shame to continue selling this land” and promoting the same development model that only generates “poverty” in the islands.
Likewise, he does not understand that Perera is “blamed”, which has been the “only policy” that has imposed a penalty for heritage in recent decades, when the PSOE also manages the Ministry of Ecological Transition.
Zaida González, spokesperson for the PP, has commented that the processing of the project has been “extensive and laborious” since 1985 and assuming that “something always fails” in the processing of documents, for which she stressed that the important thing is to find a “solution ”.
He has recognized that there is no “certainty of legality” with the project beyond the fact that 98% of the land does have permission for the works to be carried out, pending a report from the Ministry of Ecological Transition on the sad viborina or tajinaste del cardona . “We may like it or not, but this is the legality,” he said.
He has accused Martín of “generating insecurity” by putting himself in profile with the project when 98% of the project is free of charges to continue with the works, while he has lamented that all the public institutions in the project have “ignored ”.
Javier Rodríguez, counselor of the Socialist Group, has valued the “rapid and immediate reaction” of the Cabildo to respond to the complaint of the Tegüico association and now, with the works partially paralyzed, it is up to the Government of the Canary Islands to “pronounce”.
He has lamented the slowness of Nona Perera to take precautionary measures once the economic sanction was set for the company. “He is being not very diligent”, he has detailed, given that the Cabildo is still waiting for a possible precautionary stoppage of the works in its entirety.
PP, CC and CS appeal to legal certainty
Rodríguez has shown “respect” to the activists who protest against the project and censored the violence received.
Carlos Alonso, spokesman for the Nationalist Group, commented that this project “is of great interest” to the island’s citizens, stressing that “the most important thing” is to protect the island’s natural and cultural values, giving as an example that the two regional laws , from 1999 and 2015, were promoted by nationalist governments.
He has indicated that if in ‘Cuna del Alma’ there has been “damage” to the heritage, action should be taken accordingly, also because it demonstrates the “legal certainty” of the archipelago.
Alonso has recognized “failures” in the project procedure because the powers between administrations do not seem clear either and he understands that it is necessary to ensure the protection of the rights of all “without resorting to violence”.
He has snapped at Belda “to look at her party colleague” –Nona Perera– because she is the “main person in charge” of being able to paralyze the works.
Enrique Arriaga, spokesman for Cs and vice president of the Cabildo, has said that “everyone” wants to preserve the island’s heritage and environment but has defended working with “legal certainty” in accordance with the rule of law.
He has commented that “economy” is needed on the island because “complicated times” are coming and it is not possible to “generate mistrust” among investors after several decades of processing the project.
Arriaga has condemned the violence that originated a few days ago in the Puertito de Adeje and does not share “the assault on private property” that was carried out in the facilities of the development company ‘Cuna del Alma’ and that many people “cannot work ” due to the stoppage of works. “We have legislation that guarantees and has been shown”, he commented.