Yesterday, the plenary session of the Cabildo of Tenerife approved a motion to join the recent resolution of the Canary Islands Federation (Fecai), which calls for a fair distribution of unaccompanied migrant minors among all autonomous communities that “have available resources or the ability to accommodate them immediately.” This motion was put forward by the coalition parties (CC-PP) governing the island and received backing from the PSOE, while the two representatives from Vox were absent from the plenary session.
“We urge political forces to demonstrate empathy and solidarity, so that the distribution of these young individuals (…) occurs now, without any further delays or justifications,” the document states, emphasising that “the occupancy ratios in other autonomous communities are significantly lower than those seen in the Islands.” Additionally, it is asserted that “the time for political debate has passed. It is time to implement solutions.”
The adopted resolution from Fecai highlights that “Canarian institutions have already been involved, and will continue to be involved, far beyond their means and jurisdictions. The councils guarantee our utmost commitment to continued participation in solidarity.” However, “in light of the current saturation of care resources available in the Islands and the increasing influx of young people, we urgently call upon all political parties […] to define a new form of solidarity response to this crisis.”
It is stressed that “these young individuals have been deprived of essential support for months due to the overloaded resources in the Islands. Meanwhile, there are resources within the national territory with the capacity to provide better care for these minors,” it adds. Lastly, a plea is made to Canarian society to “exhibit calm and wisdom, steering clear of alarmist and biased narratives.”
In a separate matter, the plenary session also unanimously approved a motion put forth by the local government requesting the Ministry of the Interior to take the necessary actions for the inclusion of nine officers from the Puerto de la Cruz – Los Realejos Police Station into the Order of Police Merit, who were involved in Operation Ignus and successfully resolved the Los Realejos forest fire, resulting in the arrest and conviction of the arsonist.
Similarly, the plenary approved, also unanimously, a motion presented by the PSOE to explore the establishment of an Insular Animal Welfare Consortium or an alternative management framework within the current legal parameters.
Unanimous support was not achieved for the motion introduced by the island government to recognise Edmundo González Urrutia as the rightful winner of the presidential elections held on July 28 in Venezuela, which was ultimately passed with the votes of CC and PP and the abstention of the PSOE, who had proposed a substitute amendment that was dismissed.
Nivaria Great Distinction
In addition to the motions, the Plenary unanimously approved the awarding of the Great Nivaria Distinction to the renowned Tenerife artist Cristino de Vera, marking the inaugural presentation of this new honorary accolade, which is the highest honour bestowed by the Cabildo.
Furthermore, unanimous approval was also granted for the initial acceptance of the new Organic Regulations governing the Administration of the Cabildo, which “we hope will be enacted in the early days of 2025 and serve as a catalyst for strengthening island policies, ensuring the Cabildo remains a modern, efficient, and agile administration,” stated Presidential Counsellor, José Miguel Ruano.
Meanwhile, during the questions segment, the Vice-President and Minister of Tourism, Lope Afonso, addressed an inquiry from the PSOE regarding United Airlines announcing that it will only operate direct flights between the Island and New York during the winter season, specifically from October 25 to April 30, and not during the summer months, i.e., from June to September, as had been originally negotiated with the Cabildo.
