Santa Cruz de Tenerife will serve as the principal venue for the Day of the Armed Forces from the 3rd to the 8th of June, a ceremony that will be attended by its highest authority, the State head and King of Spain, Felipe VI, alongside Queen Letizia.
This was announced yesterday by the Chief of Staff of the Defence (JEMAD), Admiral General Teodoro Esteban López Calderón, during an event held at the Capitanía Palace, which was attended by the mayor of the Tenerife capital, José Manuel Bermúdez. This was preceded by a similar event in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria featuring its mayor, Carolina Darias, as that city will host complementary ceremonies of similar interest.
“The Armed Forces Day is designed as a day of meeting and communication between citizens, both civilian and military, to enhance their mutual understanding. Ultimately, it provides an excellent opportunity to demonstrate that our defence is a collective responsibility, especially in these times when it is more crucial than ever to showcase that commitment,” remarked the JEMAD, referring to an event celebrated since 1977, which replaced the previously designated Victory Day from the Franco regime. The fact that Santa Cruz de Tenerife welcomes this tribute to the Armed Forces for the third time in its history highlights the unique connection between the Tenerife capital and the military, with previous events held in 1986 and 2003.
Admiral López Calderón expressed gratitude for the hospitality extended by the two Canary capitals while encouraging participation in this tribute. “Both Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria will serve as outstanding venues to celebrate this significant day, as they provide us with countless opportunities to showcase who we are and what we do. Furthermore, this is complemented by the long-standing and warm relationship between Canarian society and the members of the Armed Forces, who are highly regarded in the islands.”
The JEMAD also took the opportunity to highlight that “the aim of celebrating the Day of the Armed Forces is to raise awareness of the work we, the military, carry out both inside and beyond our borders, our ongoing tasks of monitoring and safeguarding national territory, and defending peace and freedom globally.” He also paid special tribute to the “approximately 4,000 military personnel stationed in various parts of the world on United Nations missions, NATO, the European Union, or independently to support international security and stability.”
Meanwhile, Mayor Bermúdez explained that “Santa Cruz de Tenerife feels immensely honoured to host these events, which not only commend the efforts of our Armed Forces but also allow us, as citizens, to express our appreciation, gratitude, and respect for their unwavering commitment to defence, peace, and security.” For Santa Cruz, this day “marks an opportunity for promotion, as well as showcasing our organisational capacity and coordination in hosting significant events such as this,” he concluded.
