In the smell of crowds, this is how Arafo received Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. Ovations, shouts and greetings, the monarchs did not tire of shaking hands. The Queen carried the son of the Canarian singer Sislena Caparrós in her arms. Several people shouted cheers to the monarchs. “He is very tall and sweet,” workers from the Arafo town hall tell this newspaper. Pressed by the rush for the coming rain, both Letizia and Felipe do not deny any greeting, both appear friendly and close. They do not deny any handshake or cordial greeting. They both decide to leave the square and cross the street in front of the numerous neighbors who are crowding in front of the fences.
“Parliament is full of rude people who do nothing”
Isabel Díaz Mesa, 73 years old, resident of Arafo and born here, in a town “very funny and musical.” She returned retired after working for 45 years in port de la Cruz and was waiting for the Kings “to see their faces up close and look at them from the front,” he says because “the face reflects what people are like on the inside.” He says he doesn’t know how he is going to react when Felipe and Leticia arrive, he emphasizes: “why am I not going to applaud them or say something for them? They say that maybe we shouldn’t keep them, but there is the parliament full of rude people who do nothing for this country.” I say leave the Kings alone.” A complete defense of the monarchy from the most popular philosophy.
After getting into the official car, both Felipe VI and Queen Letizia waved through the window. Isabel was attentive throughout the entire walk, but she did not clap or shout with enthusiasm. She is monarchical, but without excesses.
“The fire is still active underground”
Pedro Martínez, head of the Territorial Forestry and Fire Management service of the Tenerife Councilwas in charge of explaining to the monarchs how the fire started 63 days ago and the difficulties that have arisen since then due to the high intensity of the flames and the constant variations in the wind, which caused the fire to reach the populations.
The technician told the King that the rain that has fallen in recent days “has been very good” for the extinguishing work, but clarified that there are still hot spots and smoke continues to come out of the underground, although “it does not cause a problem because when it comes out “they encounter humid material that does not have the capacity to burn.” Pedro Martínez also pointed out that if conditions continue as they have been until now, the outlook “is positive” because, although the underground fire is still active, it is cooling “little by little.”
Don Felipe and Doña Letizia were also able to learn about the situation of some of the affected municipalities. Thus, the mayor of La Orotava, Francisco Linares, indicated that fires like the one suffered Tenerife, which has destroyed almost 10% of its forest crown, previously occurred every 6 or 7 years; but in the last eight they have occurred at least once a year.
For this reason, he has asked the Kings to intercede so that Canary Islands can have a permanent air means base so that the cause-response effect is as short as possible and that the technicians are the ones who decide whether there must be seaplanes or helicopters at this base.
