The Government of La Laguna enters the final stretch of a mandate in which, despite having been marked by a situation as unprecedented as a global pandemic, the mayor, Luis Yeray Gutierrez (PSOE), affirms that he is “convinced” that “an absolute change” has been seen in the municipality. The councilman from La Laguna highlights that “problems that have been stuck for years” have been solved and the City Council has approached the public. And although there are only a few months left before the municipal elections of May 2023, in which Gutiérrez is running again as a PSOE candidate for Mayor, he defends that the City Council continues to work on actions and projects for the municipality. Among them, one very remarkable, since, in this interview with DIARIO DE AVISOS, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez announces that “we have made available to the Sports Club Tenerife land for La Laguna to house the new stadium”.
-We are entering the final stretch of the mandate, what balance do you make of these three and a half years of management at the head of the City Council? Do you think that the lagoons have noticed that change that they announced?
“It is not that I believe it, but I am totally convinced that there has been a total and absolute change with respect to the management of this City Council in the last three years, despite the circumstance that we have had to overcome and solve with the pandemic. and other issues. And of course there has been a change, not only from the point of view of a different way of doing politics with the local Administration, bringing the City Council closer to the people, but also with projects and works as a letter of introduction to the public. The clear example, I have always said, is solving entrenched problems for more than ten years”.
-In this sense, any achievement that you feel particularly satisfied with?
“Perhaps, in general terms, I would prefer the work done in all those projects that are a reality today. Finally getting a solution to those great challenges that the municipality had. We are talking about very important works such as the Bajamar jetty, solving the situation in Las Chumberas, recovering spaces in the city such as the ruins of San Agustín. But also with the pedestrianization of spaces in the municipality such as Heraclio Sánchez, the boost that has been given to commerce, restaurants and hotels, and that has made La Laguna the place where the most job creation has occurred in all Canary Islands. This is the product of the joint work of the local Administration and, of course, the representations of the businessmen, because we have adapted the City Council to the needs that the representatives of the sectors themselves tell us, training and giving the opportunity to have that first decision-making. contact with employment or working life”.
-The end of the pandemic has allowed the streets and events to recover, such as the recent Noche en Blanco, are you happy with the results?
“Yes, we have made a very important bet not only on the White Night, which has been a complete success with the data provided by the La Laguna Security area, which proves that more than 100,000 visitors arrived, but also with the previous of turning on the Christmas lights. We have achieved not only that the White Night is held again in its maximum splendor, but also to find the streets decked out with that lighting, which is also an attraction to come and consume in the hotel industry and shops in the municipality, and to visit our Wonderful city. We are talking about La Laguna having become the epicenter of Christmas in the Canary Islands”.
-In this sense, with everything that is being programmed, La Laguna is betting this year on a Christmas in style…
“Honestly, we are going to make a very important effort on the part of the local Administration because we understand that this Christmas deserves the hard work of all the councils, but, above all, that of the Fiestas, because people are in need of fun, happiness, that feeling of returning to that long-awaited normality. We are going to carry out more than 30 actions in the neighborhoods and towns of our municipality, we are going to continue with the Royal Camp, with many surprises, we are going to give the importance that the Three Kings parade has in the town, which is the longest-running of all of the Canary Islands, we are going to give it a highlight and the 5th is going to be spectacular. And, of course, we do this hand in hand with all the groups, neighborhoods and towns and with all the people who have selflessly wanted to collaborate”.
-And as 2022 ends, how are the budget works for next year going?
“We are going to make a significant effort so that the budgets continue to increase the management of the areas, with an important contribution in the Social Welfare Area to reach the needs of the people even more, but also in the cultural field and we are going to bet strongly for projecting and developing strategic plans for this municipality, such as mobility, sustainable urban development, a plan for the work and development of this city from an environmental point of view. And the Area of Works and Infrastructures is going to have a significant endowment, as has never been the case in this Administration, because there are many proposals that have come from the citizens themselves, after the meetings that we have held with the different sectors of the municipality ” .
-The relationship between culture and La Laguna is very close, are you working on a project for the coming months?
“Yes, we are committed to the implementation of the Master Plan for Culture, which will have the participation of all the groups and companies in the sector, which contribute so much financially, to make an accurate diagnosis of the strengths and weaknesses of the municipality from its inception. point of view, that is, they are going to tell us where we have to strengthen, promote… And we are also going to start up the Municipal Council of Culture and the Arts, which we understand is essential to mark a route. Not only are we increasing the budget, as I said before, but we are also giving the sector the opportunity to manage the cultural space that La Laguna will carry out in the coming years”.
-They have also recently announced the rehabilitation of Casa Menéndez as a new cultural space…
“It will be a different space, for interaction, to carry out any type of exhibition, for training… And in that same environment we are going to project the future Music School of this municipality, thus creating a kind of cultural city within La Laguna, and what I want to highlight is that it will be outside the hull, that is, we are going to take it to the area between Gracia and Finca España, in that space of Casa Menéndez. And, in addition, in the coming weeks we will communicate that we are going to promote a project to develop a Carnival House, where La Laguna has a place where all its groups, which are very important, from children to adults, have a space to rehearse and develop their activity”.
-La Laguna also has a strong link with sport, with Club Baloncesto Canarias, CV Haris and recently the Ciudad Deportiva del Club Deportivo Tenerife was inaugurated in Geneto. How is the relationship with all these clubs?
“Obviously, we have a fantastic relationship with them. They give us the opportunity to tour our city, our municipality around the world, internationally, and that is priceless. And the relationship with CD Tenerife is unbeatable, in fact, we have made land available to CD Tenerife so that La Laguna can have the possibility of having the new stadium in our municipality. For us it is a magnificent relationship, not only having the base here with the sports city, but also knowing that La Laguna can choose to host the new CD Tenerife stadium. And it is also a question of historical relationship, CD Tenerife was born from the merger of different clubs, including three relevant ones from the municipality of La Laguna and, of course, we have to give all the facilities to the entity that represents the Island”.
-And is this provision of land to the club a particular piece of land or are there several possibilities raised?
“We have offered different municipally owned spaces, at the request of whether we have land to house the new CD Tenerife stadium, and they are the ones who will choose. But, I insist, La Laguna is in a position to say that it can host the CD Tenerife stadium”.
-So, has it been the club that has asked about the possibility of available land in the municipality?
“They have informed us that they are looking for land and we have been very pleased to offer different possibilities for the stadium to be located in La Laguna. La Laguna can and should bet on the stadium being installed in the municipality”.
-Looking ahead to 2023, how do you face the May elections? Are you optimistic with the results?
“I am an optimistic man by nature and if I were not clear that the Mayor’s Office of La Laguna could be revalidated by me, I would not present myself, that is very clear to me. I have always said very openly that my intention is to work for the good of the citizens of the municipality, and not only have we shown it, but I am convinced that the work that has been done has been an example of the proper functioning of the local Administration. And, on the other hand, honestly, I really want to stand in municipal elections to obtain the majority support of the citizens, and I have no doubts that this is going to be the case. I presented myself to the 2019 municipal elections with a clear program, which contained a project until 2030 and that is how I want to fulfill it ”.
-Would you repeat the government pact?
“I have to be very honest, my intention is to get the majority support of the citizenry, but of course, if not, we will have to work from May 28, 2023 to achieve a broad majority.”
