Six distinguished individuals, four men and two women, were honoured by the Tenerife Council for their outstanding contributions to the professional and voluntary fields where they have worked for decades. Among them were two of the three 2024 Canary Islands Prize winners (missing the artist Gonzalo González) and the three Gold Medals of the Community, all born on the island. The President of the Council, Rosa Dávila, expressed gratitude for the recipients’ contributions to society.
During a ceremony held at the Noble Hall, Dávila played host to the awardees in the categories of Historical Heritage and Research and Innovation. Eduardo Aznar Vallejo was awarded for Patrimonio Histórico, Basilio Valladares Hernández -González received it for Fine Arts- and the Gold Canary Medals were given to Antonia Varela Pérez, Goya Alonso Jiménez, and Amid Achí Fadul.
Rosa Dávila praised the significant careers of the honourees: “It is an honour to welcome our Canary Prize winners, three Tenerife natives for the first time, and we wanted to thank them for their contributions throughout their extensive careers to social life, research, heritage, and identity, as well as the three Gold Medals.”
Joy and Satisfaction
The distinguished guests each expressed their joy and satisfaction for the recognition.
Basilio Valladares, a researcher and Pharmacy doctor, former director of the Institute of Tropical Diseases, thanked for the award: “This award has been extraordinary for me because I did not expect it. It is something special and, moreover, none of us works to be rewarded, but if at the end of your professional life you are recognised for what you have done, it is a great personal satisfaction.”
Eduardo Aznar Vallejo, a History professor and doctor, stated: “You don’t work to get an award, but when it comes, it brings personal satisfaction and is a stimulus to keep working, that is undeniable.” He continued, “I keep doing it, and it is a recognition that affects my university, my team, and the family to whom we have dedicated so many hours of attention.”
Among the 13 individual and collective Gold Medals awarded this year, there are two Tenerife women and one adopted Tenerife man. Antonia Varela Pérez, a researcher at the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC), expressed: “I am very proud and feel a great responsibility because this recognition is given for work in favour of society and for the scientific career.” She concluded, “The Gold Medal will allow me to continue working on the visibility of women and positioning the Canary Islands as one of the best places in the world for astronomical observations.”
Goya Alonso Jiménez, a social and neighbourhood activist from Afur, in Anaga, appreciated the honour: “It has been a great honour for me and for my people too. It is a great honour that they have remembered a neighbour from Anaga, just as the Council has remembered Ansina and the Santa Cruz City Council. Helping comes from my heart, and I will continue to do so.”
Finally, the Syrian-born businessman, Amid Achí, confessed: “I did not expect it, it was a surprise.” He stated that the award is for commerce, “for spending our whole lives trying to bring good things and selling them cheap.” He wanted to share the award with “the 1,500 people who work together in the group” he leads.
