"We are not going to back down no matter how many threats or concentrations there are." This is how the mayor of Haría, Alfredo Villalba, responded to the motorhome owners of the island, who this Friday have gathered again in Arrieta to protest the lack of camping spaces. A concentration that, according to the president of the Recreational Cultural Association of Motorhomes for Lanzarote (ACRAL), Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, will extend during the weekend hoping to gather "200 vehicles."
"And we will continue, because now we see that they are dedicating themselves to putting a lot of stones between the plots of Arrieta," denounced the president of ACRAL, who accuses the City Council of being behind this measure and affirms that, "instead of there," that money should be spent "in the town."
However, the mayor of Haría has stated that the City Council "has absolutely nothing to do" with these events. "The plots are private and it is the owners of the plots who have done that on their own initiative," said Alfredo Villalba. According to the mayor, after the concentration of motorhome owners last weekend in Arrieta and Punta Mujeres, "many owners called this week because of the great anger over the occupation of their spaces."
"In the end, they are going to get the neighbors to turn against the caravan owners and I don't want one thing or the other," said Alfredo Villalba, who believes that the matter is taking on "exaggerated overtones." In fact, the mayor has claimed to have received "threats to camp" in front of his house.
"All the town councils on this island prohibit camping areas in their planning, or do not contemplate them. It is a problem for the whole island that they have tried to focus on the north."
The mayor criticizes the "fixation" with the municipality of Haría
In addition, the northern mayor has questioned the "fixation" of motorhome owners "with the municipality of Haría." "All the town councils on this island prohibit camping areas in their planning, or do not contemplate them," he recalled. "It is a problem for the whole island that they have tried to focus on the north when they have even been given alternatives in Teguise, in San Bartolomé and in Tías, but it seems they don't like them," he added.
"We have simply carried out a series of actions to limit the number of people and parking spaces in the coastal areas, taking into account that in the situation that is being experienced, these crowds must be avoided. On the other hand, we have a territory that is sufficiently protected, a delicate territory that is a Protected Natural Park, in which we do not have bathroom services or minimum services such as the Papagayo campsite, where it has been decided to close, which I think has been done correctly by the Cabildo," continued Alfredo Villalba.
In this regard, the mayor pointed out that "there are also several campsites in Fuerteventura that are closed and municipalities on other islands that are closing the beaches so that there are not so many crowds." "Therefore, we have only been the spearhead, because the situation is what it is. There are many outbreaks and I think the intention is being confused, the inability to camp, with what seems like an obsession that I or the government group have with the caravan owners, which is not at all the case," he concluded.
The president of ACRAL: "Don't be deceiving people"
The president of ACRAL has denied that they plan to camp in front of the mayor's house. "We are not going to take justice into our own hands as he has done," said Miguél Ángel Rodríguez, who insisted on accusing the mayor of being behind the placement of stones on plots to prevent motorhomes from parking. "Don't be deceiving people either," he added.
"We are not asking for the entire beach, far from it. We are asking that a few caravans be allowed to enter to park and stay for the weekend," said the president of ACRAL, who stated that if they have concentrated their protests in the north it is because he "closed four beaches" to motorhome parking.
"The parking spaces on the beach for motorhomes have all been removed. Here they opened a little for the restaurant that is on the beach and small cars can enter, but you can't put a motorhome there," criticized the president of ACRAL, who believes that a solution should be found.
