The three leaders of the political parties in the City Council of Puerto de la Cruz, who brought a vote of no confidence against Marco González, the Socialist mayor since 2019, stated this morning that the action taken goes beyond ideologies. They have been working on it “thoroughly” for months, and it has “strong” foundations that are irreversible, as emphasised by Alonso Dionisio Acevedo (CC).
This councillor also affirmed that he has the full support of the party at a regional and island level. He is confident that the agreement will result in a change of government and denies the possibility of reverting, despite the discussions between Fernando Clavijo and Ángel Víctor Torres to explore alternatives to potential consequences in cities such as LA Laguna, where the PSOE governs in coalition with CC.
As announced yesterday, the division of responsibilities agreed upon by the new partners in El Puerto places the PP in charge of managing General Administration, Internal Affairs, and Police, which, as mentioned, may fall to the potential new mayor, Leopoldo Afonso. Additionally, the conservatives will oversee Finance, Public Contracting, Heritage, Human Resources, Tourism, Cultural Promotion, Social Action, Education, Youth, Animal Welfare, Costa Martiánez Complex, Beaches, Public Parking, Cemetery, Archaeological Museum, Festivals, Market, and Technological Development, as well as Children, Seniors, and Disability.
On the other hand, CC will be responsible for General Services, Commercial Development, Commerce, Industry, and the Primary Sector, while ACP will maintain its current departments (Sustainable City, Citizen Participation, Employment, Sports, Health Promotion, among others), alongside the addition of Equality and LGTBI+.
During the press conference at the Tigaiga Hotel, the three parties highlighted that this is an “urgent” political agreement in favour of Puerto de la Cruz given the current scenario of “disastrous management” by the PSOE. Issues such as pollution, inadequate services, lack of cleanliness, problems in school playgrounds, insufficient resources for the local police, and other examples of poor governance were pointed out by Leopoldo Afonso at the beginning of the briefing.
“I appreciate ACP and PP for taking this bold step, a commitment to all our neighbours, aiming to move the Port forward together, putting aside political affiliations to regain the golden era experienced years ago, which Marco González is responsible for destroying and plunging into a pit,” stated the current leader of the local PP.
Sitting among the other two spokespersons, a position later taken by Hernández and Acevedo, the brother of the island’s vice president, Lope Afonso, insisted that “the PP is a serious, responsible party with a genuine dedication to public services, striving to revitalise municipalities like the Port, which have suffered due to the poor management of González and the PSOE.”
Subsequently, in the most extensive and politically charged address, David Hernández (ACP) emphasised that the PSOE has not implemented “a single left-wing policy in the Port since 2019. Anyone who knows of one, please inform me, because we have been vigilant. ACP persists as the left in this new pact,” he emphasised. According to him, the socialist party’s demand to revise the pact with a clause requiring both partners to vote in unison during plenary sessions was one of the triggers for their breakup, as “it suggests a lack of democratic values.” This demand arose after ACP abstained from two credit modifications, totalling almost one million Euros, for the Fiestas area during the April plenary session.
Hernández reiterated the arguments put forward on Thursday and expressed gratitude to the PP and CC for “something that, for the Assembly, represents the most crucial aspect of the pact: their meticulous adherence, point by point, word by word, to the agreement signed with the PSOE in June 2023. We will adopt continuity policies, as expected. A comprehensive commitment has been made to the main issues we identified in response to the municipality’s key challenges and neglect of priorities. Our aim is to continue the work initiated this year, and this new pact enables us to do so, prioritising democracy above all else. It transcends ideologies and party lines, focusing on the needs of the residents of Puerto de la Cruz.”
Key Aspects and Agreement Points
In the coming days, the three parties will release the signed document (which Hernández disclosed to be “around twenty pages long,” stressing the importance of the media not accessing the text at this stage). Nonetheless, the spokesperson for Asamblea Ciudadana Portuense disclosed some key points and action items, such as “rectifying the human resources situation in the town hall. Neglecting a council impacts the development of public policies and reflects a lack of focus on strengthening staff. For instance, the municipal archive has been vacant for 4 months.”
Another provision highlighted was “ceasing expired and precarious concessions and contracts, as they become costlier and fail to meet requirements. Additionally, – a critical issue for ACP, being a shortcoming during this initial year of the new mandate – funding will be allocated to initiatives with prepared project plans, including the renaturalisation of the San Antonio neighbourhood (where support from the Cabildo and regional Government is crucial), the Plaza de Europa parking lot (previously requested assistance from the Government and Cabildo over three years, without success), the Los Cachazos project (another significant development), the old bus station – potentially a transformative site in recent years (with only a feasibility study in place, the aim is to initiate demolition in the coming months).”
He also touched upon the restoration of the dock that has vanished from the pier, enabling water ingress (costing 3 million Euros), and “enhancing Pelinor Street (expediting the process urgently) to provide residents with alternative housing resources. Social aspects were also addressed, including establishing a social integration company, along with securing commitments for the future use of the almost completed swimming pool (an island centre for water sports) to ensure equitable access for residents and sports clubs, a facet previously lacking a guarantee.”
On a more “ideological” note, he announced the transition from children’s beauty pageants to a children’s gala, aligning with the approach adopted by Candelaria City Council, which was declined by the PSOE. He also underscored the importance of enhancing public transport in the city, particularly by making the new La Vera line permanent and potentially extending the Botánico line to Luis Rodríguez Figueroa. In terms of housing, he proposed establishing, “at a minimum, two social housing pools in the municipality, capitalising on the opportunity provided by a regional government decree. A comprehensive plan for school improvements will be drafted, as their current state is alarming at the very least. Efforts in recent years have focused on social housing in La Vera and El Tejar, with plans to present the project to the EU to enhance housing conditions and convert them into Class A dwellings, spanning three phases, with the commitment to commence at least the inaugural phase.”
He emphasised that the current governance model “lacks a defined urban vision, presenting policies based on quantity rather than quality. Over the years, we have worked on a sustainable city with an advanced blueprint to which the PP and CC have pledged commitment, acknowledging the significant effort they are investing through this pact.”
Alonso Acevedo (CC) reiterated that the agreement is founded on robust and meticulous principles. It did not materialise suddenly but has been under development for some time, aiming to counter the incompetent and negligent governance by the mayor, who has disregarded the priorities of the people and the city. He underscored that the agreement will be approached seriously and, above all, with loyalty. Each detail has been handled with utmost secrecy and calmness,” he disclosed. “The local committee of Puerto de la Cruz has taken this decision with full backing from the regional and island boards. We will work to advance these agreed projects with external support.”
