The mayor of Granadilla de Abona, Jennifer Miranda (PSOE), has stated that the motion of censure presented this Wednesday by CC, PP and Vox is motivated by actions taken in the Cabildo de Tenerife and the Government of the Canary Islands, whose presidents, Rosa Dávila and Fernando Clavijo, were mentioned during a press conference.
With all the councillors who have signed the censure motion present, having negotiated for more than eight months and reported on by this newspaper since then, the recording of the motion took place at the headquarters of the Citizen Service (SAC) of Granadilla de Abona at 8:30 am on Wednesday. This motion strengthens the right-wing tripartite alliance (PP) and the Spanish CC nationalists in the islands. The key figure in this operation, Marcos Antonio Rodríguez from the PP, attended the meeting despite the firm resistance from his fellow councillor, Bianca Cerbán, and deliberately avoided being in the photo op.
Although it was revealed on Monday that pressures were being considered, it was confirmed this morning that Rodríguez has committed to a government change aimed at displacing the socialist Jennifer Miranda from the Mayor’s Office, returning the position to Domingo Regalado (CC), who is currently serving as an advisor to Fernando Clavijo in the Presidency of the Canary Islands.
Jennifer Miranda, who leads with two councillors from the PP, remarked that the censure motion is directed at José Domingo Regalado (CC), who has “left the municipality stagnant for seven years” during his three terms as mayor, two of which were achieved through motions of censure without ever winning an election.
One of the PP councillors, Marcos Antonio Rodríguez, has supported the motion of censure, while the political assembly consists of PSOE with 11 councillors; CC with 10; Vox with 2; and mixed (formerly PP) with 2.
The other PP councillor, Bianca Cerbán, accompanied Jennifer Miranda at the press conference and expressed that she found out about the motion through the media, recalling that she was elected with the intention of advocating for change within the municipality during the electoral campaign.
Bianca Cerbán, the third deputy mayor and councillor for hiring, employment, and economic development, stated that she remains aligned with the PP despite not agreeing with the party on numerous issues, and mentioned that she had attempted to contact Marcos Antonio Rodríguez to inquire “why the censure motion.”
Councillor David Santos (PSOE) has acknowledged that Marcos Antonio Rodríguez reached out to him on Monday of that week, and they scheduled a meeting for Wednesday, as he had been pressured by the party (PP) but was contemplating resignation.
“Today he entered the City Council through the back door, went straight to the secretary’s office, signed the motion, and left alone,” David Santos commented.
Jennifer Miranda claimed that José Domingo Regalado has been selected as the “ideal puppet” for the presidency of the Cabildo de Tenerife and the Government of the Canary Islands.
The agreement, signed with one of the councillors originally from the PP and currently in power, Marcos Antonio Rodríguez, will see José Domingo Regalado (CC) return to his former role, which he held after a motion of censure in 2016 and during the 2019 to 2023 term.
Jennifer Miranda noted that the PSOE has consistently been the most preferred party in Granadilla, stating there are very few justifications for the motion of censure, particularly since the municipal budget was approved last Monday without any opposition votes.
He has voiced criticism that the agreement for the motion of censure was made during a meeting at the Presidency of the Canary Islands Government in the island of Tenerife, highlighting that the approval of the Vacation Rental Ordinance was among the reasons cited, despite the pressure he faced.
He also pointed to the PSOE’s objections to the construction of a hotel along the municipality’s coastline and the planned motor circuit, as well as its support for the taxi service, which Rosa Dávila accused of “engaging in kidnapping crimes.”
Jennifer Miranda stressed that Granadilla de Abona has been a “historically overlooked” community by ATI, insisting that the “red lines have become indistinct.” She referred to remarks made by the president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, who asserted before the elections that his party would never align with Vox.
He stated that there is still an opportunity to apply common sense until the vote occurs, calling upon Marcos Antonio Rodríguez, who “has previously faced pressures” in 2023, acknowledging that the prospects are “slim” for the motion of censure to fail.
Clavijo’s party continues to contextualise this significant shift in its collaboration with the Vox ultra-right wing, although the president himself remarked on Tuesday in the regional Parliament, during the discussion about Canarian nationality, that it is a party one “cannot trust,” citing its stance on migration, its breakdown of autonomous governments for this reason, and its manipulation regarding budgets.
The session to address the motion of censure is scheduled to take place on March 26.
