The Canarian PSOE is set to hold its regional congress this weekend, concluding this Sunday with a speech from the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez. Nevertheless, aside from the usual intricate negotiations and possible surprises in the formation of the new executive, the spotlight is likely to be on the prospective secretary of the Tenerife socialists. Ángel Víctor Torres stands as the sole alternative and is expected to be re-elected as the island’s leader, eyeing the regional elections scheduled for May 2027, barring any unforeseen events prior (unless Clavijo brings them forward, as permitted by the revised Statute). Following the unexpected resignation of Pedro Martín last Saturday from his role as secretary, despite his strong inclination to seek another term as declared in the island committee, the party on the Island is now engulfed in days of uncertainty. Local groups are eager to resolve this matter quickly, ideally by Saturday of the following week, as reported by Canarias Ahora.
In an effort to reach a resolution with minimal fractures and protect the party’s image, key leaders from La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Arona, Adeje, and Puerto de la Cruz (the municipalities hosting the highest membership on the island) plan to convene informally this Saturday. More formally, they are set to meet in a week (next Saturday). These committees, which include political figures such as Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, Patricia Hernández, José Julián Mena, José Miguel Rodríguez Fraga, and Marco González, aim to identify a singular consensus candidate who can gather maximum support among all groups. This candidate would champion party unity and uphold the positive outcomes from recent local, island, and state elections in Tenerife, despite the decline in power during this mandate—most notably due to the loss of the Cabildo, even after winning both votes and council seats; this was further compounded by Nira Fierro’s defeat (by one deputy) to Ana Oramas on the island list for the Canary Islands Parliament in May 2023, contrasting with her previous victory for an additional seat against Rosa Dávila in 2019, which had not been achieved against ATI or CC since 1983.
The surprise revelation from Pedro Martín during the committee meeting last Saturday quickly prompted speculation around potential successors. Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, the mayor of La Laguna, was prominently mentioned, although he quickly dismissed the idea, expressing his desire to concentrate on governance in his municipality. Various party sources consulted by this newspaper deem this reasoning sound, given that he lacks an absolute majority and co-governs with CC, which could hinder a critical stance backed by the island leadership in the Cabildo and other institutions, or complicate his daily responsibilities in Aguere alongside his coalition partner.
The preferred candidate declines… for now
Another prominent name suggested on that Saturday to assume leadership at the upcoming island congress on April 4 and 5 was Aarón Afonso from Puerto, the current spokesperson for the Island’s Administration and former Minister of Justice during the period he co-governed the Canary Islands with Fernando Clavijo as president (July 2015 to December 28, 2016). However, he has consistently refrained from discussions concerning the mayoralty of Puerto de la Cruz, a personal commitment he tends to avoid addressing that is linked to his father’s legacy; the latter tragically passed in the 1984 La Gomera fire, having been the city’s mayor with the highest electoral support (17 out of 21 councilors in 1983).
Despite Afonso’s reluctance (as he typically favours remaining in the background), those familiar with him assert that he remains the group’s preferred choice, despite certain differences with Pedro Martín, under whom Afonso served as his right-hand man. His thoroughness, professionalism, dedication, training, and ability to foster consensus and mediate differences across various contexts remain noteworthy. Thus, efforts will be made in the coming days to persuade him to reconsider, as failing to do so may exacerbate the uncertainty, given the scarcity of alternative candidates who could secure similar unanimous support.
In fact, the only individual who has openly acknowledged his willingness to take on the secretariat of the Tenerife PSOE is the current regional deputy and former president of the Parliament of the Canary Islands from 2019 to 2023, Gustavo Matos. The former socialist spokesperson and candidate in La Laguna, as well as the general director of Commerce, believes he can garner support and act as a bridge between the established and emerging generations within the Tenerife PSOE. However, he clarifies that assuming this role does not mean he intends to run for the Cabildo in 2027; on the contrary, he initially distances himself from that prospect.
Matos’ challenge lies in the information gathered by this newspaper indicating that if he confirms his ambition for the island secretariat, he is likely to encounter an alternative candidate. This is due to the fact that while he has backing in several groups (as demonstrated, albeit insufficiently, when he sought the regional candidacy that Patricia Hernández ultimately secured in October 2014), he is also met with opposition from some members and is not deemed a suitable figure to foster general consensus, according to consulted sources.
Another candidate that has surfaced, although he has no desire to present himself and it remains unclear whether he would achieve sufficient consensus if he did, is the current senator and former counsellor of Ecological Transition, José Antonio Valbuena. However, his candidacy is not favoured by leaders such as Rodríguez Fraga, given the known differences regarding urban projects like Cuna del Alma or the port of Fonsalía. Valbuena, aligned with Patricia Hernández’s faction, indicated to the Canary Islands Now that he does not wish to take on the role of secretary and is confident that a broad agreement will emerge around a candidate, whose identity is yet to reveal itself. As Pedro Martín notes, “with whom I have had differences, he has performed admirably for the party, leading them to victory in the Cabildo in 2023—a feat not accomplished since José Segura in 1983—and he has secured wins in Santa Cruz, La Laguna, Adeje, Arona, and Puerto de la Cruz—unprecedented results that, in some cases, manifested as new administrations.”
Martín believes he has successfully unified the party and ensured that there have been no divisive congresses like those witnessed between “Manuel Fumero and Javier Abreu or the situations that occurred 15 or 20 years ago.” Therefore, he contends they should continue along the current trajectory and advocate for maximum cohesion.
Nevertheless, contrasting views exist among sources who argue that Martín has not united the party to the extent portrayed and that different factions have felt isolated during various electoral processes and campaigns. These sources also assert there should be a single candidate, albeit they express doubts that this profile can be fulfilled by other mentioned names, such as the mayor of Candelaria and president of Fecam, Mari Brito. Additionally, they dismiss Nira Fierro, as it is presumed she will continue as Torres’ second-in-command in the Organisation Secretariat or hold a significant position at a regional level.
“White blackbirds” are also deemed unviable candidates, such as Jennifer Miranda, the mayor of Granadilla, because, similar to Gutiérrez in La Laguna, she needs to solidify her local authority (having fallen just two councillors short of an absolute majority) and, most importantly, she co-governs with two PP councillors, amid substantial pressure from the party at the regional and island level to sever ties with the socialist party. This is largely due to an agreement between CC and Vox concerning censure (the two far-right councillors have previously supported nationalist Domingo Regalado as mayor at the start of this mandate). Indeed, those two PP representatives have made their position clear.
Why did Pedro Martín resign?
So, why did Martín resign when he had announced his intention to seek re-election as secretary of the Tenerife socialists? As he stated in the committee and later to the press: he does not feel supported by the Torres administration. In fact, the former mayor of Guía de Isora and former president of the Tenerife Cabildo, who presently serves in the Senate following the general elections in July 2023, was never within the minister’s purview. Of course, they managed to overcome their differences well, and as Valbuena himself points out, both the regional administration under Torres and the Cabildo led by Martín “functioned seamlessly, without significant issues.” Nevertheless, he does not feel the level of support he believes is essential, leading party leaders, now primarily focused on Santa Cruz, like Patricia Hernández—who has also had disagreements with Martín—to state in that committee that she is unwilling to tolerate attacks or abuses against his position, further fuelling speculation about a potential challenge from a candidate (specifically Valbuena), though this seems to be dissipating and efforts are being made to address these concerns through the aforementioned key groups.
However, Martín’s longstanding refusal to collaborate with CC and his inclination towards aligning with the PP, should collaboration with the left or other parties fail (he served as island president in a coalition with two Cs councillors and external support from Sí Podemos, which led to the censure against Carlos Alonso in July 2023), has become more pronounced. With the PSOE now lacking support from the left, save for a NC that is also navigating tumultuous and divisive times, the calls for, and the pragmatic belief that engaging with CC may be the best strategy to enhance the socialists’ influence in the Islands—especially regarding the national context surrounding issues like migrant minors—are growing. This is particularly pertinent in municipalities such as Santa Cruz, at least for as long as Patricia Hernández and José Manuel Bermúdez remain in leadership positions.
