SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 14th April. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The committees coordinating the ‘Canary Islands have a limit’ demonstration in Tenerife, set for the 20th of April, have issued a statement today, on Sunday, in which they aimed to highlight the motives behind the organisation of the event, clarifying that it is a non-partisan demonstration and is completely detached from any political party.
The groups and associations involved assert in their statement that none of them have engaged in negotiations with any party from any political spectrum. They further state that while they cannot prevent parties from participating in the demonstration, they view the “sudden support” and attendance of any party on 20A as a “purely opportunistic” move.
Additionally, they reiterate that the demonstration is not anti-tourism: “We support tourism, but we advocate for setting boundaries. Hence, we want to emphasize that this is not about, in any way, having a fear of tourism. If we are wary of anything, it is the mismanagement of the existing model and the flawed tourism policies of continuous expansion in the Canary Islands, which we believe are entirely incorrect and unsuccessful, leading to the degradation of our land and the loss of its current biodiversity.”
They also stress that right from the beginning, the purpose behind organising this demonstration has been “complete seriousness and apprehension for the present and future of the Canary Islands”, as they have been compelled to take to the streets en masse to demand solutions that are vital for the survival of the islands. These solutions have been neglected for too long by various governments that have not worked towards a promising future for the Canary Islands.
Hence, they express their desire for the march not to have a festive or jovial atmosphere since, according to the organisers, “we have no cause for celebration or reasons to be joyful. What we experience is a sense of continuous deceit and hypocrisy from the authorities towards the citizens on numerous issues that jeopardise the future of our islands, hence our suggestion to express ourselves with seriousness and vigour.”
Furthermore, they underline that their primary demands include a halt on tourism and vacation developments in the Canary Islands, ensuring the immediate cessation of creating new accommodation spaces; an effective regulation of housing that guarantees the Canarian population access to this fundamental right, by curbing the uncontrolled growth of holiday rentals and restricting property acquisition to non-residents, and the introduction of a tourist ecotax, meaning a small fee should be levied on visitors to the Islands to reinvest the revenue in the preservation and upkeep of natural areas or in establishing green employment opportunities.
The organising groups and associations clarify that all these points fall under the essential foundations required for a drastic model change that the Canary Islands urgently need and specify that any additional demands beyond those mentioned do not stem from the demonstration’s organisation, which distances itself from any form of ideological or political slogan.
Lastly, they urge and appreciate all groups interested in participating in the demonstration to do so with the sole objective of limiting growth and laying the groundwork for a model transformation.
The statement is endorsed by Save La Tejita; Coordinator El Rincón-Ecologists in Action; Ben Magec-Ecologists in Action; Save El Puertito; Tenerife Association of Friends of Nature (ATAN); Canarian Telesforo Bravo-Juan Coello Foundation; Group of Ornithology and Natural History of the Canary Islands (GOHNIC); Los Silos-Isla Baja Platform; ASIREM Network; Los Silos-Isla Baja Platform; Association for the Conservation of Canarian Biodiversity (ACBC); Canary Islands Scientific Rebellion; Association for Community Development; Agents of Change; Assembly in Defense of Our Land (ADNT); Abeque Association Agents for Change, and Tabona Ecologist Collective.
