Concerns Over La Vuelta’s Impact on Tenerife’s Image
Potential Participation of the Israeli Team
The second vice president of the Cabildo of Tenerife, José Miguel Ruano (Coalición Canaria), stated on Wednesday that if hosting the 2026 Vuelta a España negatively impacts the island’s image, “it will not be an option for us.” His remarks come amid discussions regarding the participation of the Israeli team and the demands from left-wing parties to withdraw from the competition if they take part. Ruano clarified that while he supports the sporting event, “if it becomes associated with broader issues that could harm the island’s image, then it will not be an option for us.”
He made these comments during a press conference following the Government Council, standing in for island president Rosa Dávila, alongside island vice president Lope Afonso (PP).
Defending the Island’s Image
“Our position is to defend the island’s image, and if the island’s interests are not aligned with the potential celebration of a sporting event, we are not here to create problems where there are none,” Afonso stated. Currently, discussions are ongoing to ascertain “under what conditions La Vuelta could come to Tenerife,” and once that framework is established, “we will make the appropriate decision.”
Both politicians took the opportunity during the press conference to condemn the invasion of Gaza; however, they did not categorise it as genocide, as defined by the UN. Afonso expressed his “absolute condemnation of what is happening in Gaza,” while Ruano insisted on referring to it as a “massacre.”
International Responsibility
“We believe that a massacre of the civilian population is occurring in Gaza, and this massacre is attributable to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the government of Israel,” Ruano asserted. From a nationalist perspective, he argued that the international community must establish sanctions against Israel, which should be the responsibility of individual states and the European Union. “Such a framework is necessary. All decent citizens are witnessing how Netanyahu’s government is carrying out a massacre of civilians,” he added.
Regarding the term “massacre,” he noted that “there is a shared value,” but specified that using that shared value “as a political tool, as seems to have been suggested by the Spanish government and certain political organisations, implies that we must bear some responsibility for that massacre.”
Future of La Vuelta in the Canary Islands
At present, the celebration of La Vuelta in the Canary Islands is uncertain. The PSOE has been advocating for the event not to be hosted if Israel participates. The cabildos of Gran Canaria and Tenerife had reached a preliminary agreement with Unipublic to host the final stages of the competition; however, in light of the pro-Palestinian protests that occurred during this year’s event, the president of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria has warned that the competition will not be hosted if Israel participates.
