Livia Veronese, an Italian woman living in Teguise, decided in April to donate 75,000 euros to remodel the Costa Teguise socio-cultural center. Months later, this donation has been questioned by the PIL, which believes that this woman "got angry" with the mayor and the government group and has decided to withdraw the money. The Teguise government group denies this and assures that the donor gave the order to deposit the money "last Friday", despite the commitment being made in April. In fact, the works had already started and, according to the mayor, will be finished by "mid-November".
This donation has been surrounded by controversy after the PIL sent a press release this weekend, in which it claimed that the Councilor for Urban Planning, Echedey Eugenio, was going to meet with the residents of Costa Teguise to explain why Livia Veronese had finally "withdrawn" this item. However, Eugenio did not attend the meeting because he was "very busy", according to the PIL's version.
This fact has been denied by both the mayor, Oswaldo Betancort, and the councilor himself. Betancort assured this Monday on Radio Lanzarote that the councilor did not attend the meeting because he had "a funeral" and called to notify. "They told him that they would postpone the meeting for another day and that there was no problem", the mayor assured.
For his part, Eugenio wanted to make it clear that this meeting "was not to talk about the socio-cultural center" or the alleged loss of the donation, but to discuss "Costa Teguise issues", as he does with this group of residents "once every two months".
Order of the transfer
In this sense, the mayor has insisted that he does not know what the PIL's criticism is about and that version about the alleged "withdrawal" of the donation. "Doña Olivia has kept her word. The donation remains. On Friday I spoke with her and we finalized the details to make the donation effective", he pointed out. Therefore, this donation had not yet been made last Friday although, according to Echedey Eugenio, "the lady gave the transfer order" that same day.
Meanwhile, the councilor has explained that the Teguise City Council had to advance a certification to the company in charge of the works. "It was somewhat rushed", he pointed out, referring to the situation of this company, without detailing how much the City Council had to contribute. The councilor has insisted that the "works are paid at the end" and has assured that "there is no anger on the part of the woman, with whom the agreement is being fulfilled".
But the PIL is not convinced by these explanations. "The money has not been deposited, she has withdrawn it due to some kind of anger with the government group or with the mayor", the PIL spokesman in Teguise, José Dimas Martín, continued to maintain this Monday. Until he sees an "extract or proof" of the deposit of the 75,000 euro donation, Martín will not believe it, as he has assured La Voz.
"At least until Saturday, the residents said that this lady had withdrawn the money. The socio-cultural center is still half finished and the works were stopped due to the problem with this lady's money. I don't know who is lying. If you show me the proof, I'll believe you, but if not, no", Martín insisted.
The inauguration, "in mid-November"
For his part, the mayor has stated that the works will be finished soon so that this socio-cultural center can open "in mid-November". According to Betancort, only "a few finishing touches" are missing, such as a ramp for people with physical disabilities and the furniture. The Councilor for Urban Planning has also added that "the flooring, the installation of false ceilings and the doors" are missing. "In two, three or four weeks, if there are no unforeseen events, the works will be finished", the councilor assured.