The numbering of the Arrecife market stalls has already been assigned, and starting this Wednesday, it will be permanently moved from José Ramírez Cerdá Park to Charco de San Ginés. The draw, which the media were not allowed to attend, was held this Tuesday at the Valterra Cultural Society. From outside, there was a commotion, and those in charge of different stalls who were at the doors indicated that this "uproar" was produced by the merchants of Gypsy ethnicity, who last Friday went to the City Hall to protest the change of location of the market. "Entering here is a horror," muttered a woman entering the Cultural Society due to this commotion.
The Department of Consumption and Commerce, headed by María del Amor Castañeyra, together with the Department of Neighborhoods and Cleaning, coordinated by Antonio Machín, have worked together on the relocation of the market, and both councilors have been present in Valterra, after Castañeyra met this Monday with some of those in charge of the stalls to specify the aspects related to the change of location and this draw.
Thus, 100 papers with 100 numbers have been put into a box, and most of them have been distributed. According to Antonio Machín, councilor for Neighborhoods and Cleaning, the Local Police had to intervene during the draw, as a woman took out four numbers at once and "intelligently took the one that interested her the most," so she was called to attention and took out another number, and "as she didn't like it, she started to threaten and had to be evicted."
For his part, Miguel Aldai, in charge of one of the stalls, left the assignment happy with the number he got. On the other hand, the artisan Rogelio Quintana is skeptical. "I'm more or less happy, I got the one on the back side, everything has its good side, but well, we'll see," he comments.
Quintana has been in this market for more than 10 years, is an artisan, and points out that he would have liked this draw to have been done by seniority and not by luck. He also highlights that there has been a lack of information from the City Council about this change to Charco de San Ginés and this assignment of numbers.
"So much fighting against the herons and in the end, the herons are kicking us out," highlights this artisan. He also recalls that the Arrecife market has been located in the Charco on four occasions and highlights that in his case, sales decreased by 80 percent. For this reason, he demands that the City Council promote the market, a fact that the councilor for Consumption and Commerce, Amor Castañeyra, declares that she plans to do to attract cruise passengers. In addition, Quintana indicates that this area is very windy, which is why "it was removed from there on previous occasions." Despite all these elements against it, he believes that if the City Council helps in the promotion, they will be "better than in the Ramírez Cerdá Park."
Even so, regarding this issue, there is a diversity of opinions among the merchants. Miguel Aldai and Mar Vallinot agree with the change of location. Vallinot, who runs a silver materials stall, affirms that the new location is to her liking and indicates that she prefers this place.
Relocation of the market
For his part, Machín points out that the lack of organization and the problem of the herons are the main reasons for this relocation. Machín explains that there was no specific place for the stalls, so when they arrived, each one assigned themselves the place they deemed appropriate, a matter that they want to solve through the draw held this Tuesday. "It was a continuous conflict and we were even presented with signatures from the artisans and merchants of this area due to that lack of control." To this issue are added, according to Machín, the economic issues, since some did not pay anything or only paid for one stall and placed more, and the aspects that refer to cleaning after the market is held.
In the Charco de San Ginés, according to Machín, the intention is to avoid the "grouping" of the stalls, in order to leave space between them, facilitate the control of the stalls, and "improve the image." Regarding this last issue, it is also intended that the stalls present a similar appearance.
