During the oversight committee meeting, the socialist spokesperson at Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council, Patricia Hernández, announced that her group will initiate a reimbursement procedure to request the city council to refund the 80,000 euros subsidy awarded to the Hotel and Non-Hotel Association of Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro (Ashotel) for the Hotel Juernes programme. This initiative, aimed at revitalizing the city through activities in seven affiliated accommodation establishments, took place from April to June.
Hernández stated, “The city council has used public funds to support a private project, by providing this advance payment to hoteliers for drinks at a hotel terrace, which they still need to pay for. Despite claims of being a free initiative, the only thing free is access to the establishment,” remarked the councilor.
The PSOE raised concerns to the Councilor for the Presidency, Purificación Dávila, regarding this matter and the expenses related to Hotel Juernes, pointing out that “there is no such grant in the municipal budget, except for setting up a tourism office. We support initiatives for revitalization but not for promoting private events,” emphasized Hernández.
Regarding this issue, the councilor of the area clarified that “the Ashotel subsidy was approved at the end of 2023 through an amendment proposed by the Canarian Coalition to the Santa Cruz Strategic Plan for 2023/2027. This is a step to introduce new economic opportunities in the city’s entertainment and leisure offerings. However, in Hernández’s case, there appears to be personal resentment towards this hotel association.” Consequently, the councilor accused the socialists of “sectarianism” and urged them to “refrain from targeting hoteliers, seizing upon 20A, and focus on addressing their own shortcomings.”
Nevertheless, the clash between groups persisted during another session requested by the PSOE from the nationalist councillor. Hernández questioned why councilors were barred entry during the ceremony to present credentials to the tagorores members conducted last week.
Dávila refuted this claim and explained that “it was a symbolic and public event where seats were filled by secretaries and tagorores members. The socialist’s issue is with class distinction and not being included in the photographs, but it seems they lack the audacity to request complimentary tickets for the musical Grease.”
