The Top Five Debate candidates to the Presidency of the Cabildo of Tenerife in the elections on May 28, organized by Radio Club Tenerife-Cadena Ser at the Hotel Mencey, met expectations. Perhaps too much, in the sense that all the protagonists stuck to the role assigned by the script, very marked in terms of timing and speaking turns, previously drawn. Mobility and social policies were the main axes of the speeches. The structure was developed in four large thematic blocks. The two mentioned plus the environment, including land planning, and the economy.
Debate as such there was rather little and after two hours the symptoms were of a certain boredom and tiredness. among the neutrals. Because each party brought its claca, whose components applauded the leaders with more or less enthusiasm. Primo, yes, an exquisite education. Of the most aggressive role for the nationalist Rosa Davila, aspiring to be the first president in the history of the Cabildo, to the role of quiet man of the popular Lope Afonso. With a president, the socialist Peter Martin, candidate for re-election, who gave numerous data on the balance of the work of these four years. He accompanied him in the positive vision Enrique Arriaga (citizens), who, after all, has co-governed in this mandate, while Manuel marrero (Unidas sí Podemos) was released with the most original approach globally and distanced from the others.
Under the baton of the journalist Héctor Palmero – he avoided the stake with solvency and professionalism – Martín, Dávila, Afonso, Marrero and Arriaga recounted their proposals and raised the tone in some criticisms, although blood did not reach the river at any time.
Rosa Dávila remained firm in the approaches that she has been advocating for months. With harsh criticism of the lack of management by Pedro Martín and the PSOE – which in his words “has caused Tenerife to be paralyzed” – and with clear proposals such as the recovery of the Ansina programme, the creation of 2,800 socio-sanitary places, its relief measures to mitigate the collapse of traffic in the short term -he reiterated his already famous 90-day term to find relief-, the generation of employment and the reduction of the waiting list, the nationalist candidate focused a good part of her speech on taking an X-ray of an island “that has lost prominence and leadership in the last term.”
Pedro Martín defended his management. He said that it has been four “hard and not easy” years with a minority government that has managed to carry out the four budgets with the support of different parties (Sí Podemos Canary Islands the first three exercises and the Popular Party this year). He puffed up his commitment to purifying water, providing aid to the primary sector and tourism, on the production of renewable energy, job creation, “the largest in history” and a management model for the elderly based on new initiatives such as telecare or specialized help at home.
Lope Afonso was true to himself. With a leisurely tone, without raising his voice, he placed the accent on what, in his opinion, is what is important for Tenerife: “Reactivate employment, care for the elderly and improve mobility.” He also rejected the tourismophobia “that some parties intend to sell” and the ecotax. His demeanor, always conciliatory, keeps him away from the usual scuffles in which the other candidates do fall, especially when talking about figures.
Manuel Marrero did not disappoint his parish either. His discourse on consumption and depredation of the territory, sustainability, mobility, frontal opposition to the construction of the Circuito del Engine and the need to have two true hospitals in the North and the South, he used the usual references for the insular left.
Nor was it surprising the call for a demonstration to be held today in the South against the current tourist system, something that was not shared by any of the other candidates. He did get a little upset when Dávila accused him of being an accomplice in what had happened in the last four years – “They govern with the PSOE at the national, regional and insular level”, he snapped – although he finally remained calm and explained, he concluded with “the need to make a change for Tenerife that is possible”.
Enrique Arriaga’s intervention did not stray from his usual script either. Under the vision that Tenerife had been in very bad shape for 30 years (exactly 32) before the start of this term in 2019, he highlighted his management in the Cabildo together with the PSOE and with the external support of Sí Podemos Canarias in these four years. Arriaga affirmed that “this has been the mandate of the projects and the next one will be that of the works”. He explained that “despite the fact that public transport has increased by 50% due to being free, the queues continue.” He defended his proposal to build the north and south trains and expand the tram lines and opted for innovation to diversify the economy.
Mobility, problems on the roads and possible solutions were at the center of the controversy (little) in this first debate for the presidency of the Cabildo de Tenerife. Pedro Martín and Enrique Arriaga coincide in blaming CC, “because the solutions should have been taken 15 years ago”, when the nationalists ruled. The Coalition candidate, Rosa Dávila, took the opportunity to criticize the Cabildo’s agreement with the University of La Laguna (ULL) to transfer two million euros to the Faculty of Medicine in exchange for delaying the start of classes at 10 am. “A measure that only affects 66 students,” she stressed.
Marrero and Afonso agreed on the promotion of public transport to remove cars from the main highways, the TF-5 and the TF-1. The PP also includes the taxi sector to bring the users of the island’s midlands closer to the bus stops.
Population growth
Rosa Dávila provided some data such as that the population of Tenerife has grown by 40,000 people in just five years. She proposed a pact for sustainability that did not receive a response from her interlocutors. Lope Afonso blamed Martín for “folding to Valbuena” (socialist regional councilor for Ecological Transition).
Marrero was forceful in supporting the eco-tax and the tourist moratorium. He complained that “they always say the same thing, that it is not the right time, but it will come in the next term.” He criticized current projects such as Cuna del Alma, in the little port of adeje, or the Motor Circuit. Arriaga assured that the environmental movements “have scared away” Tenerife investors. He indicated that “environmental protection of parcels should not be sought when a million people live here in 20% of the territory.
In the social block, Arriaga outraged Rosa Dávila when she stated that the disappeared Ansina program was “a beach bar.” The nationalist replied that the first thing he will do “when he becomes president” will be to recover it.
Lope Afonso revealed that “the reality of Tenerife in social matters is very hard, despite the triumphalism of Pedro Martín” because “there is nothing to celebrate when the number of people at risk of poverty has increased by 38%.”
The candidates used their final golden minute to ask the people of Tenerife for their vote. The socialist president and candidate for reelection Pedro Martín said that “these four years have been very complicated, but I would not change them for anything because it has allowed me to work for the Island where I was born.”
He valued intense work in which “we have had successes and also made mistakes, but we have done it for the public welfare. I ask you to vote for the PSOE to be able to finish the job and lay the foundations for a better Tenerife. He reiterated to conclude: “With dialogue, consensus and agreement as I have done throughout the mandate.”
