Demanding the halt of the La Tejita hotel and ‘Cuna del Alma’ projects, activists push for the establishment of citizen assemblies to shape the future of the islands.
LA LAGUNA (TENERIFE), 11 April (EUROPA PRESS) –
On Thursday evening, nearly 200 individuals encircled a group of activists who initiated an open-ended hunger strike in Tenerife, urging for the immediate implementation of a tourism moratorium in the Canary Islands.
Beside the Church of La Concepción in La Laguna, the demonstrators also demand the cessation of construction activities at a hotel near La Tejita beach and the Cuna del Alma tourist project close to Puertito de Adeje. They advocate for the establishment of lasting citizen forums to determine the islands’ future development model.
In a manifesto, they cautioned that “the Canary Islands are reaching a critical point,” emphasizing citizens’ diminishing patience. They anticipate the demonstration on April 20 as a pivotal moment to shift away from a “self-destructive and unsustainable” tourism model marked by low wages, housing shortages, and environmental degradation.
They underscored that the “political elite” is starting to feel the impact of a robust and unstoppable movement. They criticised the Canary Islands President, Fernando Clavijo, accusing him of feigning support for the demonstration while backing tourist projects and obstructing the demolition of the RIU hotel in Fuerteventura or allocating €20 million in aid to boost tourism.
The citizens express a desire to engage in a genuine transformation process, as they feel politicians are driving society towards a precipice. While they reject ‘tourismphobia’, they admit to raising awareness among tourists about the archipelago’s situation due to the political class rendering them “invisible.”
They describe the hunger strike as a “historic” act driven by politicians’ reckless policies and inaction, pushing both the islands and their inhabitants to a breaking point.
The manifesto concludes by condemning an “outdated exploitative model” and praising the courage of the hunger strikers. “We are choosing life over death,” they summarise.
Víctor Martín, spokesperson for the ‘Canarias se exhausts’ platform, expressed disappointment that the Canary Islands government hasn’t engaged in negotiations following the ten-day ultimatum issued the previous week. He stated that the hunger strike will cease if there are written guarantees to halt the La Tejita and Puertito de Adeje projects and implement an immediate moratorium.
Regarding these projects, Martín stressed, “It is a question of political willingness, not legality or regulations, because in the case of La Tejita, the law has been breached since they encroached upon public maritime land, and despite Coastal Demarcation opposition to the works, the developers proceeded based on three TSJC rulings.”
CANARY ISLANDS “MUST ALTER COURSE”
Addressing ‘Cuna del Alma’, he criticised the government for deflecting responsibility towards Adeje City Council, allowing two of the three deadlines to lapse and shifting the burden to a council collaborating with Cabildo, making planning “a tool of speculation in southern Tenerife.”
Martín stressed that the Canary Islands “cannot continue on the current path,” given the energy, climate, and water crises, and called for activity to be “halted” to decide the future calmly.
Concerning the tourism moratorium, he emphasised the necessity for “maximum citizen involvement” through popular assemblies, rather than solely relying on specialist and political consultations. Concurrently, he highlighted the imperative for the regional government to almost immediately “dampen this excessive growth” impacting natural areas, ecosystems, and residents’ quality of life.
Supporters, forming a human chain backing the hunger strikers, chanted slogans such as “The Canary Islands are not for sale, they are cherished and defended,” “concrete is not consumed,” “capitalism thrives off tourism,” and “corrupt politicians have no place in the Canary Islands.”
