Podemos continues its campaign for the European elections by prioritising Canarias with the visit of the party’s general coordinator, Ione Bellarra, to Tenerife. The former Minister of Social Rights in the previous term was accompanied by her colleague in the Congress of Deputies, Noemí Santana, coordinator of Podemos Canarias, and both expressed solidarity with the citizen movement defending the territory and addressing housing issues in the islands.
“A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to meet an activist from Canarias se agota and I wanted to understand the situation more closely and in greater depth,” explained Belarra, who denounced being “fully aware” that “the personal and economic resources of the islands are being depleted”. “If 75% of the income generated by tourism in Canarias goes elsewhere, it means that people are working in Canarias for others to enrich themselves.”
Ione Belarra (right) and Noemí Santana, during the event held this Friday in Tenerife. / Cedida
Podemos’ coordinator condemned as “indecent” the fact that people cannot access housing in Canarias and urged President Clavijo for “urgent” enforcement of the Housing Law that Belarra herself led as Minister of Social Rights. She also called for a total moratorium on tourist accommodations, with the suspension of works in Cuna del Alma and la Tejita which are “an urban planning aberration”. “We cannot continue down the path of speculation, corruption, and massive construction on land that is also a marvel of nature, and those works must be immediately halted”.
During her visit to Tenerife, Ione Belarra also made a commitment to Irene Montero to fight in Europe for the island exception in the sale of properties to non-residents so that “vulture funds, which are getting rich by speculating with houses that should be for living, cannot access the purchase of properties in the islands”.
“On June 9th, we have the opportunity to once again stand up for the left, a left that confronts completely savage right-wing forces,” Belarra concluded.
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Noemí Santana, on her part, has denounced the “impossible mission” of finding housing in Canarias, and the necessary rebellion led by citizens to defend the territory, while committing to the fight: “we will protect one of our most precious assets, which is our territory, and of course the people who inhabit, fight, and love in it”.
