Last Sunday, the filming of an advertisement for Peugeot, in the vicinity of the Volcán del Cuervo, was involved in a serious controversy for not having the permits of the Board of Natural Spaces. The Councilor for Territorial Policy of the Cabildo, Carlos Espino Angulo, requested yesterday a report from the Secretariat to clarify if in this case that type of permit was necessary.
Pedro Hernández Camacho, councilor of the Alternativa Ciudadana-25 de Mayo (AC-25M) group was the first to raise the alarm and to warn the president of the Cabildo, Inés Rojas, and the councilor of Territorial Policy, Carlos Espino, as well as the mayor of Tinajo, Jesús Machín, who sent the local police to the area.
In statements made yesterday to Radio Lanzarote, Hernández denounced that last Sunday, in the area of the Caldera del Cuervo, there was a whole operation set up of cars, trucks, and even a helicopter. "We citizens always feel helpless when we see these situations of great spectacularity", he complained, referring to the harshness with which "anyone who moves any stone in any corner" of the Island is sanctioned. "We have to make the formulas are fulfilled, the law is the same for everyone, it cannot be one way for the powerful and another for the non-powerful", he insisted.
The spokesman for Alternativa also wanted to remember that he has always opposed the celebration of musical shows in the volcano. "We consider", he said, "that because of the spectacularity of the place and what it means from the volcanic point of view, it is not possible to develop that type of activities inside there". In this case, "the filming took place outside the caldera, but it was still a tremendously spectacular scenario", he added.
Hernández approached the scene late on Sunday afternoon and found that the production company had the authorization of the Department of Policy and Territorial of the Cabildo. However, he stressed once again that such authorizations must be given through the Insular Board of Protected Natural Spaces. "We find it extremely strange that the procedures that must be carried out to authorize this type of activities are not followed", he concluded.
Response from the Cabildo
For his part, Carlos Espino Angulo, admitted that a helicopter of the filming flew over a prohibited area and that the production company did not have the permission of the Board of Natural Spaces. "I want an internal report to be made, to see who has been responsible for that not going through the organs that it has to go through, and we will act accordingly", said yesterday the Councilor for Territorial Policy in Radio Lanzarote.
Yesterday the filming continued because there were still a couple of shots to be taken, but "not in that area, but in others that are either not protected, or are of a lower sensitivity", confirmed Espino, who was concerned about the lack of surveillance during the filming on Sunday: "I was enormously surprised that this work was being done in a sensitive area and we did not have Cabildo personnel watching the area. Apparently it is the usual tonic when giving these permits and it is something that from now on has to change". In fact, yesterday they were filming in the area of Los Hervideros under the supervision, this time yes, of the Ecological Brigade sent by the councilor himself.
