An African proverb says that the herd forces the lion to go hungry. In the North, the unity to achieve strength has never been a constant, and in the end, whether for this reason or another, we are still lagging behind. A small group of people realized this situation and in 2019 decided to step forward to raise their voice through the North Alisios Association. Making time that is non-existent requires an effort that is only worth it if the end justifies it. Iván Rodríguez de Azero has been its president since the beginning and is clear in defining the objectives of this association: “We aspire to become the necessary and useful mouthpiece to convey a clear message of unity in seeking solutions to long-standing unresolved issues to institutions, media, or any other entity with the capacity to make decisions. In Alisios Norte, we demand the pending infrastructures in the North and call for the attention of politicians, competent authorities, and society in general to urgently work on all these issues.”
It is a non-profit association open to the participation of all those who believe that the North and its future should be a priority. “We want to finally end the inequalities suffered by the citizens of the north of Tenerife, but we are realistic and aware of the difficulties involved in pressuring public and private institutions to adopt the appropriate measures. But even though we raise our voice, it is not just about shouting, we also want to contribute to providing solutions. It is evident that we can be very useful because we have well-identified the problems we face daily.”
One of the most significant milestones they have achieved from their beginnings was the holding of a forum during the last election campaign with the candidates for the presidency of the Tenerife Island Council. “It was the first time they spoke in the North exclusively about issues that affect us, and it generated great interest.” On that occasion, North Alisios proposed a set of specific actions that could be carried out in the short term as a roadmap to progress while waiting for those major infrastructures that never seem to arrive.
Mobility, a Priority
The issue of mobility is undoubtedly the top priority these days, especially following the measures taken by the Island Council regarding the closure of the TF-5 link by Guamasa, which has come to light again. Alisios applauds the initiative, which shows a clear interest in seeking short-term solutions that help alleviate traffic, as indicated by the General Directorate of Traffic report. In this regard, Juan Violán, a board member, emphasizes that “we have been decades behind in our roads, and if we can improve, even if it’s just 10 minutes a day saved for the 20,000 people who commute daily, it is welcome.” “However, we believe there is still much work to be done and propose, for example, other specific measures such as implementing teleworking in private companies and public administration, with budgetary involvement from the Government of the Canary Islands and the European Union, greater involvement from the University of La Laguna in modifying schedules, and other measures for students to opt for carpooling, or for the University Hospital to reconsider its test, analysis, and consultation schedules for the northern citizens and essential transfers to be staggered between 11:00 and 17:00, for example, or greater equipment for the Northern Hospital,” he details.
North Trades / Marta Casanova
Violán adds: “We believe that support for mobility also involves promoting public transport and high-occupancy vehicles, facilitating the implementation of an exclusive lane for their use as an advantage over private car use. Road education is also a good alternative to relieve traffic congestion due to accidents, in addition to the proper use and expansion of roundabouts. We also do not rule out the need to resume studies and procedures for the implementation of the Northern Train.”
Representatives of North Alisios have also participated in the mobility meetings convened periodically by the Island Council president, “something we appreciate as the main affected parties, which allows us to know firsthand the steps being taken and to present our point of view,” highlights another member of the group, Marcos Delgado.
Notably, the association launched a massive signature collection campaign at the end of 2022, through the Change.org platform, supported by other entities such as Ashotel, Fepeco, Chamber of Commerce, Femete, Fedetax, Fauca, CEST, FAST, CEOE, UGT, Intersindical Canaria, and a dozen municipalities on the island, among others, not to mention the more than 1,500 individual endorsements within hours of its launch on the platform, demonstrating the interest and concern for this issue.
Decentralization
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One of the proposed measures from this association concerns administrative decentralization so that the North has educational or administrative centers. “In this way, the socioeconomic situation of the north would improve and at the same time, it would avoid displacements at a low cost for the public administrations. But all these issues must also be conveyed to the society of the North, which is why we are organizing a meeting with mobility experts next April capable of putting on the table the different alternatives and experiences in other territories with similar issues,” announces Marcos Delgado.
Beyond mobility, for Gustavo Pérez, another member of Alisios Norte, there are other relevant issues in the North such as sustainability: “The unique landscape of the North of the Island must be preserved, and we must be firm in environmental care, especially in the surroundings of our Teide National Park, beaches, and pools. At Alisios, we want to promote specific actions for environmental awareness, and we are very concerned, for example, about the situation of Teide National Park and all the controversy generated by the Park’s Management Plan, which, after the public information period, we do not know in which phase it is. This was another issue addressed in another meeting organized in June 2022.”
Alisios Norte insists on total and absolute independence from the political parties leading the institutions. “We are driven by a common interest that has nothing to do with politics. We are and will continue to be apolitical, but we believe that society and the business sector also have a responsibility to come together and demand improvements. We cannot be a silent and uncritical herd. To be taken into account, we must unite and we are gaining more and more strength to make ourselves heard without acrimony, but also without tepidity,” emphasizes Celio Rodríguez, also a member of the collective.
“Our aspiration is to continue growing. We started this adventure with three people in a friendly gathering where we shared our views on the issues of the north and the lack of organized voices to represent society. The South has an advantage in this regard, where there have been business organizations for years capable of advocating for their needs. We aspire to that and want to touch the nerve and sensitivity of the northern business sector so that they continue to join us and become even larger. The north has been suffering from a historical deficit in certain infrastructures, and we will demand it wherever necessary,” affirms Braulio Domínguez, one of the promoters of the association, alongside Marcos Delgado and Iván Rodríguez de Azero.
In this sense, Enrique Talg, another member of the collective, recalls how some years ago there was an attempt to create something similar through the Taoro opinion group, but unfortunately, it fell by the wayside. “The situation now is very different. We are a solid group with very clear ideas and enthusiasm to move forward and open to having many more people, residents or not in the north, join us. Many people here have had to leave their place of origin to avoid the traffic problems we suffer, but I appeal to them to join if they want to be part of our association, as long as their priority remains the North without ruling out the possibility of returning to live here.”
Sustainability
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Talg also emphasizes Alisios Norte’s concern for sustainability linked to the correct waste treatment and carrying capacity of the Island, especially of this area of the Island. We say we are sustainable, but are we really, or do we need to rethink the future to improve in this field?
I consider it important to belong to this association because like the trade winds that mark the temperature of this land, we want to contribute to improving the climate of the north without causing major storms. But do not forget that we are that gentle and constant breeze that is sometimes unnoticed but always present.
