Two Incidents Squatting of residential properties on the same day this Tuesday, February 11, have raised an alert for residents in two municipalities of Tenerife. The occurrences took place in the El Toscal neighbourhood, located in the centre of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and on Los Perales street in Tacoronte.
In the initial incident, several youths Squatted a house that was scheduled for refurbishment by its proprietors. Meanwhile, in Tacoronte, the local residents realised that several young individuals were attempting to enter another property but managed to prevent it by shouting and pushing, as evidenced in video clips shared on Canarian radio and recorded by some locals.
Regarding the situation in the El Toscal Chicharrero neighbourhood on Tuesday evening, the Occupants gained access to a Terrera house in the Ravina passage, specifically number 10, which is a pedestrian path. Sources from the City of Santa Cruz state that the owners of this residence had applied for permission to carry out renovation work.
Residents in the vicinity noticed that something unusual was occurring in the Ravina passage. Initially, they spotted some young individuals, seemingly of Moroccan descent, within the area, and later that evening, they heard noises at the entrance of a house. Images shared by Canarian television show two young people entering the house through a main entrance that had been previously forced open.
In fact, another attempt had already taken place in the same El Toscal neighbourhood, right next to number 10 in the Ravina passage, on the preceding Monday, February 10. Residents, alongside the City Council, reported the incidents to the National Police and have requested their immediate assistance. Time is of the essence to prevent the takeover of a property within 48 hours of it being occupied.
Concerning the Tacoronte incident, events unfolded on Tuesday afternoon on Los Perales Street, a narrow lane located beneath the farmer’s market. Three young males, also seemingly of Moroccan origin, attempted to break into a property from the rear.
Upon realising this, the neighbours promptly alerted the owners who were also present inside the same house, which was similarly a Terrera as that in El Toscal. Collectively, they confronted the three young men and successfully expelled them.
Sources from the Civil Guard have confirmed to El Día that several officers were dispatched to the location after residents raised the alarm, and they identified the three young individuals, leading to a report for a crime of property usurpation. These sources clarified that the three men were not arrested but were located and reported.
The municipalities of Santa Cruz and Tacoronte are announcing an enhancement of security measures in anticipation of potential future squatting attempts and are prepared to collaborate with the State Security Forces.
Similar episodes of squatting are causing concern in the neighbourhood, prompting protest gatherings, sparked by theoccupation of abandoned properties in the historic centre and other areas of La Orotava, in northern Tenerife, which led the City Council to bolster security measures.
The municipal authorities of La Orotava announced this via a statement, stating: “For the past three months, the occupation of uninhabited properties by individuals has created significant challenges for community coexistence. These incidents have led to growing concern, which has prompted us to work urgently to address this situation and support the most affected residents with advice and assistance.”
The security forces “are operating in a coordinated manner, collaborating as a team,” stated the local government of La Orotava, adding that “we have exceptional professionals within our Local Police and Civil Guard.” Since then, new incidents have emerged in the Orotava district.
