SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 2nd Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
On Tuesday, the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, officially deposited the personal records of former presidents Adán Martín Menis and Manuel Hermoso Rojas, which will now be housed in the Provincial Historical Archive of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The inclusion of these records signifies a dedication to safeguarding the historical narrative of the Canary Islands, highlighting the unique perspectives of its creators as key advocates of democratic values and the progress of the autonomous community.
The ceremony was attended by the family of Adán Martín and Manuel Hermoso, who, alongside the President of the Canary Islands, formalised this donation. They were joined by the Minister of Universities, Science and Innovation and Culture, Migadalia Machín, and the Director General of Culture and Cultural Heritage, Miguel Ángel Clavijo.
Through this transfer, under the commodatum arrangement, a significant stride is taken towards preserving, digitising, and sharing this political legacy of the former leaders of the archipelago. Moreover, this action marks the initial phase of a long-awaited project by the General Directorate of Culture and Cultural Heritage: the establishment of the Archive of the Presidents of the Canary Islands, which will be housed jointly by the Provincial Historical Archive of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and the Provincial Historical Archive of Las Palmas.
During the event, the President of the Canary Islands expressed gratitude to the relatives of Adán Martín and Manuel Hermoso for their “tremendous generosity” in offering these records that echo their “personal and private perspective” of the recent history of the autonomous community. Clavijo commended the dedication and accomplishments of the leadership provided by those who governed the archipelago, as well as their “exemplary” approach as leaders adept at dialogue and consensus-building.
The head of the autonomous Executive also underlined the significance of having an Archive of the Presidents of the Canary Islands where former incumbents of such high roles can, if they wish to, hand down to future generations their documented journey.
Thus, the Government is responding to a bill unanimously ratified in October 2020 by the plenary session of the Parliament of the Canary Islands. This resolution urged the autonomous community to establish a documentary archive of former Canarian presidents, emphasising the importance of digitising these resources for their conservation and accessibility to researchers.
In the case of the archives transferred today, they contain valuable documents concerning the recent history of the Canary Islands, encapsulating a significant part of our contemporary democratic narrative, prominently featuring the roles of Adán Martín and Manuel Hermoso, who played pivotal roles in shaping the future of the Canary Islands, serving as privileged observers and leading figures of their era.
Both archives encompass a diverse range of documentation, predominantly in paper format, supplemented by a wealth of photographic and audio material. Together, they offer insights into various subjects, shedding light on well-known facets of our recent history, alongside lesser-known aspects, always bringing us closer to individuals, their lives, and work in a personal, almost intimate manner at times.
The collections amount to approximately 650 archival boxes. The deposit was made possible through the “immense generosity and commendable” efforts of Manuel Hermoso and the descendants of Adán Martín, as acknowledged by President Clavijo, who highlighted that with their personal records, “they continue to contribute to the Canary Islands even today.”
