The citizen platform 'Lanzarote has a limit', which convened the demonstration held on the island on April 20 in parallel with the eight Canary Islands, supported in cities in Spain and outside the country, is once again calling for social mobilization to "demand political actions that result in the improvement of the quality of life of residents and in the conservation and regeneration of the natural environment."
The members of this platform, who remember "that they are not against tourism but against mass and uncontrolled tourism", regret that "citizens are not being heard and urban development projects continue, not only in tourist areas but throughout the island territory, combined with the excessive increase in spending on festivals and musical events that generate serious health problems due to constant noise."
"We want to insist on our rejection of the speculative and irresponsible way of doing politics, celebrating the increase in the arrival of tourists when we have said that we want to stop and consider the possibility of decreasing; plotting to legalize works and hotels with a conviction that steals land and public access to the sea, as is the case of the Papagayo Arena hotel; and squandering public money on parties," they say.
All this, they continue explaining, "without the public administrations investing in the improvement of environmental management on a small and fragile island, which also lives off its landscape, nor allocating the necessary resources to improve basic factors such as water supply, with supply cuts that are carried out in practically all the towns of Lanzarote, except in the tourist areas."
"In addition, while it is published that the turnover of the tourism sector exceeds forecasts and the increases in revenue in the Art, Culture and Tourism Centers (CACT) of Lanzarote are praised, we suffer from the serious problem of food dependence, the high price of the shopping basket, the almost impossible access to housing or the waiting lists and the lack of resources in the health system," they state.
"We demand more efficient management of the basic services that politicians and the administration must provide to citizens. We are also talking about the chronic problems in education related to family reconciliation, the cost of materials and the shortage of staff, while demanding a comprehensive and operational public transport system and a considerable improvement in waste management, in which we are committed to reducing consumption," they add.
Finally, they state that "there is no planet B and there is no Lanzarote B. We fight for the conservation of the natural environment, we fight for ourselves and we fight for our children and grandchildren, and we do not accept the deceptive speeches of politicians."
