The security issues at the Teobaldo Power auditorium, along with various other venues that host sociocultural activities in La Orotava which lack dedicated plans, have repeatedly been highlighted both in written form and verbally since 2007 by the sole cultural manager of the municipality, Miguel Ángel Hernández (who served until late 2022). There were also expert firms in this field that submitted reports to the city council, alerting about the associated risks and suggesting viable solutions. As reported by Canarias Ahora, one of these companies, which has opted not to disclose its identity at this time, is prepared to provide testimonies to the Prosecutor’s Office, where Hernández lodged a complaint last week to investigate the circumstances and determine if any criminal responsibility or similar issues exist.
One of the companies that took significant action is a specialist in security for performance venues and spaces for concerts and cultural or festive events. In 2015, according to information gathered by this newspaper, it submitted two detailed reports to the council’s registry: one outlining the risks present in Teobaldo Power and other locations used by La Orotava for cultural and festive programming, and another detailing the solutions it proposed to comply with legal requirements. As discovered by Canarias Ahora, these documents were compiled following various discussions and meetings with local government representatives (CC).
Previously, other companies had raised similar concerns and recommended alternative actions, but the most concrete developments occurred in 2015. Nonetheless, the programming (largely due to usage requests) persisted without interruption at both Teobaldo Power and other venues. A notable shift took place following the tragic DANA event on October 29 in Valencia, when the municipal government, together with that of the Cabildo (CC-PP), announced a comprehensive renovation, necessitating a three-year closure and an expenditure of €13 million (a figure that might increase). This decision came despite prior activities scheduled for the remainder of 2024 and part of 2025, with tickets already sold, indicating that the announcement was made hastily after the distressing events in Valencia and parts of Castilla La Mancha and Andalusia.
The former manager was not aware of these documents
In light of this information, the former manager expressed his outrage this morning, deeming it very serious that a specialised company had registered documents of such significance regarding security in the auditorium and other venues, whilst he, as the primary technical authority responsible for all activities, was completely unaware. According to Hernández, officials are obliged, under their statute, to inform or report any violations of the law, particularly concerning security issues that could endanger people.
Since the announcement of the required reform, which had been called for decades and was formalised by a decree signed by former mayor Isaac Valencia and former municipal secretary Juan Carlos De Tomás Martín in 2013, immediately following the fire incident involving Saida Prieto’s fantasy at the Queen of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival that year, Hernández has connected this situation to DANA and the growing concerns surrounding potential incidents at Teobaldo Power due to fire risks, the insufficiency of door widths, the way the ceiling is supported (heavily soiled with pigeon droppings), and the construction props that have supported the stage expansion for decades. While the local government has so far opted not to provide its perspective, it has not refuted any links to the recent catastrophic flooding.
Furthermore, Hernández believes that the cessation of performances by the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra at the Teobaldo Power and the inability to host certain concerts demonstrates the absence of a safety plan. In his view, this failure prevented the municipality from joining the Network of Scenic Spaces of Tenerife (Insular Circuit), which has engaged with most locations on the Island (31) over the years, excluding La Orotava, despite it being the most populous area in the Northern region (42,500 residents across 15 municipalities). He emphasized that what he witnessed “for 15 years was absolute torment.” The former manager raised written concerns regarding the situation in 2017, but the status quo remained unchanged.
