The mayor of La Victoria de Acentejo, Juan Antonio García, was ruled out yesterday morning as a potential general secretary of the PSOE Tenerife, thanks to a consensus from the main factions. Nevertheless, the leader of the island party continued to face turbulence on Tuesday, exacerbated by the resignation of Pedro Martín, along with the self-withdrawals of Luis Yeray Gutiérrez and Aarón Afonso. Amid the willingness expressed by Gustavo Matos and the looming threat from José Antonio Valbuena, one name has emerged to the forefront as a likely successor for the position of party leader, which boasts approximately 2,000 affiliates. Tamara Raya from Puerto de la Cruz is currently the frontrunner to be confirmed this Friday, stepping into a role that few regard as attractive and which has previously been a source of considerable concern for a party experiencing a phase of stability and continuity in the Canary Islands under Ángel Víctor Torres, despite a significant reduction in influence noted in May 2023.
Tamara Raya, a regional deputy, ex-Congress representative, and former councillor in the Portuense City Council, was somewhat of a “dark horse” among candidates. Despite having lost control in the Cabildo, she can proudly claim victory in various elections across different levels in recent years, having co-governed or managed several municipalities with an absolute majority (though the issue of censorship looms with the approaching election in August 2024). Her tenure under Pedro Martín as island secretary was marked by unity and the absence of significant conflicts or crises.
This key figure also possesses the requisite qualities sought after, as her appointment is aimed at ensuring consensus to prevent fractures, given that she is not aligned with any particular faction and maintains a strong, critical stance towards CC and PP.
This contrasts sharply with profiles like that of Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, the Mayor of La Laguna, who has opted to concentrate on his administration in Aguere, where he governs alongside CC, potentially hindering his ability to present a robust opposition to Rosa Dávila and other administrations across the islands.
On the other hand, the current spokesperson in the Cabildo de Tenerife and long-time right-hand man to Martín, Aarón Afonso, did not meet these conditions. Despite being the preferred candidate among the more powerful groups (including La Laguna, Santa Cruz, Adeje, Puerto de la Cruz, and Arona), Afonso, who has served as the regional councillor for Justice and Public Administrations during the 18 months of co-government between Fernando Clavijo and Patricia Hernández (from July 2015 to December 2016), has consistently declined the opportunity to lead the party. He has demonstrated a preference for maintaining a lower profile similar to his approach with the Puerto de la Cruz City Hall.
Prior to the emergence of Tamara Raya, the only party member who had expressed an interest in running was Gustavo Matos, another regional deputy and former president of the Parliament of the Canary Islands. However, his candidacy failed to garner unanimous support, leading to immediate rejection and an exploration of alternative options. These included the potential candidacy of Patricia Hernández, spokesperson in the City of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, advocating for autonomous senator José Antonio Valbuena. Another possible consensus candidate, albeit with fewer endorsements and more uncertainty, was Mari Brito, the mayor of Candelaria and president of Fecam, although she seemed reluctant to step forward and likely would have led to primary elections.
Currently, the emergence of Tamara Raya appears to resolve a challenging situation for the PSOE Tenerife, a development that is expected to be confirmed this Friday when the nomination period opens and the candidatures become official in the island congress scheduled for the 4th and 5th of April.
