At half past six this Monday morning, Andres Medina left his house in Argana Alta to undertake a journey of more than 15 kilometers. The barely four hours of sleep he had were not an obstacle for Medina to fulfill a promise that began "between jokes and laughter" when, with several other neighbors, he founded Vecinos Unidos just three months ago. Now, as an elected councilor, the new councilor has not hesitated to put on his hiking clothes and make a pilgrimage to the hermitage of the Virgen de los Dolores to thank her for his triumph.
Medina's election was one of the surprises that the 24-M election night held for Arrecife. After his party allied with Somos Lanzarote, the leader of Vecinos Unidos joined the list of this electoral confluence to the City Council in third place. The headquarters of Somos Lanzarote became a clamor when, as the count of votes advanced, the number of votes gave the formation its third councilor in the city. The outburst was even greater when, after midnight and after following the day from his neighborhood, Argana Alta, Medina arrived at the headquarters.
Already this Monday morning, dodging the hangover that usually leaves the intrigue and celebrations until the wee hours of the morning on election night, Medina set off when the day was just dawning. "I went calmly, it took me an hour and 51 minutes. I left from Argana Alta, went up the entire rubble dump, went to the Mozaga crossing, El Peñón and then the entire road that goes to La Vegueta and then to Los Dolores," he explained.
A journey of almost 15 kilometers that he has done alone, "without telling anyone", because it was a promise he made and wanted to fulfill. Excited and with a lump in his throat, he later spoke on Radio Lanzarote-Onda Cero of the satisfaction for his triumph and his gratitude to the Virgen de los Dolores, of whom he has always been a devotee. In fact, this was not the first time he had made a pilgrimage to thank La Virgen. Just a year ago, on May 24, 2014, he also marched to the hermitage, fulfilling another promise after the eviction of two elderly people in Arrecife was stopped.
"Before I did it as a neighbor, from the inside it's another thing"
Andrés Medina is preceded by a trajectory of many years as a defender of his neighborhood, Argana Alta. Whether as president of his neighborhood association or individually, he has fought to bring the demands of this area of the capital to the Consistory, with writings, claims, complaints and many conversations with councilors and mayors.
Now, underlining his "gratitude to all" the residents of Argana (who have made Somos the second most voted force in the neighborhood) and citizens of Arrecife who have given their vote to Somos Lanzarote, he is convinced that with his election their demands will go further. "Before I did it personally, as a neighbor, but from the inside it's another thing," he said.
"The problem we have is that those who have been governing for four years are going to continue for another four. Why haven't they done the neighborhood plans that they have promised now, in the campaign, in these four years?" he asks. "Now I am going to dedicate all the time I can to the neighborhoods and especially to this one (Argana), which is abandoned by the hand of God. I am going to badger them every day with the commitment they have made to get that plan out," he promises.