Four excavators and mechanical blades employed in the soul’s cradle tourism project were set on fire during the early hours of Saturday morning. The Civil Guard is currently investigating the incident. The company that owns the damaged machinery, contracted by a construction firm in Tenerife for the project, has faced severe repercussions, impacting both its operations and workforce.

Pedro Alfonso, head of the Spanish Confederation of Business Organisations (CEOE) for the province, highlighted the seriousness of the matter: “The entrepreneurs of Tenerife wish to express our astonishment and utter abhorrence towards this act.” In a statement delivered to the media, he insisted that “private property should reign supreme over any such actions.” From his viewpoint, “The unfortunate burning at the soul’s cradle undermines any rights” the activists might claim to express, insisting that “the approach they have taken clearly positions them as individuals seeking to create more chaos than to provide solutions.”

The initial protest against the development of this tourism initiative at Puertito de Adeje occurred on July 22, 2022, when activists began a camping demonstration. A week later, tensions escalated when several individuals chained themselves to one of the excavators involved in the area’s construction. That day saw moments of high tension, with one protester reported to have attempted to obstruct work using some machinery.

An attempted eviction of the activists took place on September 26 of the same year, leading two of them to enter areas designated by the developer, resulting in moments of intense tension, shouting, accusations, and a struggle.

The work stoppage caused by the intervention of activists was also recorded on April 30, 2024. On that day, a group sat down on the road leading to the La Caleta de Adeje site of Scientific Interest, near the location where the soul crib complex is to be constructed. On November 19, another protester chained themselves to an excavator.

This project has faced scrutiny since the laying of its first stone on May 5, 2022, although the process commenced in 2014 with the adjustment of planning in the area. Concerns and protests arose over the potential destruction of archaeological sites and the impact on the area, particularly concerning the so-called sad viborina. Amid sanction proceedings and work suspensions, the Canarian Government, following the 2023 elections (CC-PP), put a hold on the project until February 2024 when the Canarian Agency for the Protection of the Natural Environment lifted one of the three remaining suspension orders.

On September 12, the Adeje Town Council’s Local Governing Board approved the construction permit, allowing the development of the Extrahotlero Cuna del Alma complex in Puertito de Adeje. The urban licence pertains to the initial phase of this tourism project, covering 45,534 square meters, with a budget of €43,229,874, featuring 314 lodging accommodations across 90 rooms. The construction is slated to commence within a year and conclude within four, although extensions may be considered.

The approval of the viborina project’s licenses allowed the reactivation of the soul’s cradle construction, which encompasses 437,000 square meters under the partial plan for Adeje Puertito, featuring 146,091 square meters designated for building and a plan for 4,428 beds.