The Minister of Culture of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Alberto Aguiar, wanted to respond to the criticisms of Coalición Canaria who, in a recent statement, stated that "El Almacén had been closed for two years and that (...) reopening it to turn it into a 'croquetería' is irrefutable proof that culture has ceased to be a priority for the Cabildo."
"I have great esteem for Councilor Óscar Pérez, so I am very surprised that he confuses the closure of Bar Picasso with the absence of cultural programming at CIC El Almacén. It makes you think that a department of the relevance of the Culture area has been in the hands of someone who is capable of identifying the culture of a society with what happens between the four walls of a bar. It is true that Bar Picasso has been closed since the confinement, but nationalists must understand that art and culture are not the same as hospitality," Aguiar insisted.
"I prefer to think that it has all been a big mistake and, therefore, I await a rectification."
"If the councilor were truly concerned about culture, the cultural fabric and the local scene of Lanzarote, he should know that, except in the worst moments of the pandemic, cultural activities have continued to be held with greater or lesser restrictions. In fact, hundreds of events have been held during these last two years that can be consulted on the department's website.
"It seems that he ignores, therefore, that we have continued to hold exhibitions, film screenings, concerts, courses, workshops, talks and others," adds the councilor.
Various works at the CIC El Almacén
Alberto Aguiar has also assured that during the legislature various conditioning works have been carried out at the CIC El Almacén that "had not been carried out until now and that have endangered the development of activities."
"First we had to repair the air conditioning, which was failing and making the air in the Buñuel Cinema and other spaces in the center unbreathable; we have replaced the flooring in the entrance hall and the El Aljibe Room, which was constantly lifting, and now we are finishing some electrical maintenance work to prevent the building's differentials from continuing to trip. All of this has forced us to postpone some activities from January to the months of February and March, although we are now back to 100%," said the Minister of Culture.
