The company Cumbre 8 has presented a formal proposal to the Island Council of Lanzarote to promote a symbolic modification of the flag of the Canary Islands that includes La Graciosa as the eighth island of the Archipelago.
The initiative arises as a result of the entry into force of Organic Law 1/2018, amending the Statute of Autonomy of the Canary Islands, which legally recognized La Graciosa as an inhabited island with its own entity. However, this recognition has not yet been reflected on a symbolic level, since the autonomous shield on the flag of the Canary Islands still only shows seven islands.
Currently, Article 7.2 of the Statute describes the Community's coat of arms with "seven well-ordered silver islands," without mentioning La Graciosa. Cumbre 8 Islas S.L. proposes modifying this article so that the coat of arms represents eight islands: El Hierro, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, Lanzarote, La Palma, Tenerife, and La Graciosa.
In its writing, the company points out that this modification would "contribute normative and symbolic coherence to the current Statute, strengthen the feeling of identity and belonging of the Archipelago as a whole, and make visible an insular reality that the legislator has already legally recognized."
The proposal not only seeks to correct a mismatch between the legal framework and institutional symbols, but also to "contribute, from reflection and institutional respect, to strengthening the symbolic representation and cohesion of the Canary Islands as a whole."
Cumbre 8 Islas S.L. has requested the Cabildo of Lanzarote to exercise its capacity for political initiative to submit the proposal to the Government of the Canary Islands, with the aim of promoting the modification of the Statute.
La Graciosa was officially recognized as an inhabited island in 2018, which marked a historic milestone for its inhabitants and for the political and administrative configuration of the Archipelago. However, more than seven years later, its presence has still not been incorporated into one of the most visible symbols of Canarian identity: its flag.