The Territorial Policy Councilor of the Cabildo, Echedey Eugenio, has avoided commenting on the possible legalization of the Papagayo Arena Hotel and has stated that he "does not understand" why Somos Lanzarote has requested his appearance in the Plenary Session, to give explanations about a document presented by the property requesting the mediation of this councilor in the procedure opened in the Courts to execute the ruling that declared the establishment illegal.
"It is a conflict of the Yaiza City Council with the property, not even with this Cabildo," Eugenio stated, despite the fact that it was precisely the Island Corporation that appealed this license in its day, managing to get the courts to agree with it. "The Cabildo presented the complaints in its day and when the time came to execute the sentences, what it did was disappear", Carlos Meca reproached him.
"The hoteliers themselves believe that the Cabildo has not fought to enforce the ruling that annulled their license", warned the spokesperson for Somos, Tomás López, who explained that this has been stated by the legal representatives of the Papagayo Arena Hotel. In this regard, López explained that the mediation request was rejected by the César Manrique Foundation and by the Cabildo's lawyer, and the owner of the Papagayo Arena stated in a letter that he is "surprised by the opposition of the Cabildo's lawyer, especially when the island administration has not been belligerent in the execution incident."
"It generates some concern for me that companies that have illegal hotels are in front of a Court saying that it is better for the councilor to intercede because this Cabildo will have it easier to legalize their hotel," added the councilor of Somos, who asked Eugenio "if he plans to intervene as requested by the company." In addition, he has also asked him to comment on the observations made by the Papagayo Arena, "assuring that there is a discrepancy between the procedural representation of the Cabildo, which requests the execution of the sentence, and the pronouncements of the institutional officials."
Podemos criticizes "the difference in standards" with respect to the Hotel Son Bou
During his appearance, Eugenio acknowledged that he held a meeting with the representatives of the Papagayo Arena and pointed out that what he did was refer the matter "to the legal services and the representation of the Cabildo" and that "on May 15, 2017, the report of the lawyer was forwarded to the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands." "And my opinion as a councilor is the one issued by the legal services of this Cabildo, I don't take away or add a comma," said the Territorial Policy Councilor, insisting that he did not understand "the reason for the appearance."
"It is not that he does not understand it, it is that he does not want to understand it, which is very different, because anyone who reads the text of the request for the appearance understands the seriousness of a hotelier with an illegal hotel in Lanzarote saying that you mediate because that way it will be easier for him to legalize his hotel", the spokesperson for Podemos, Carlos Meca, reproached him in this regard, who also criticized "the difference in standards" of the Cabildo, to which Echedey Eugenio threatened him with possible legal actions.
And it is that Meca has criticized that "the Cabildo, after being absent in the processes of execution of sentences, suddenly, for some time now, has started up and has been activated in only one of those procedures, which is that of the Papagayo Arena", and yet it has not done so in that of the Hotel Son Sou, which is owned by Juan Francisco Rosa. "You, evidently, are going to get involved with some hotels and with others evidently not, because let's see who pays for the campaign later," pointed out the councilor of Podemos, highlighting that "it is curious to see the disparity of criteria to appear and request the execution of sentences of some hotels and not of others."
The PSOE demands an "active" role to point out the "aberrations"
In this same sense, the spokesperson for the PSOE, Marcos Bergaz, has stated that his party "has no problem with the Cabildo having an active role", but as long as it is "to point out in court issues such as that such an urban aberration does not fit in Lanzarote, that the wounds still bleed for many of us when we pass by there and remember those years, that the Cabildo will support those exemplary measures necessary so that history never repeats itself again, and that the territory of Lanzarote and its rules deserve respect."
"And while we're at it, and not only referring to this specific case, if we adopt a proactive position in each and every one of the execution processes, with the different degrees of non-compliance they may have, and we seek solutions within the law to guarantee their restoration and the public interest, it will be good news," added the councilor of the PSOE, who has criticized "the passivity with which the Cabildo takes these cases." "And it is paradoxical that Podemos speaks of the absence of the Cabildo in the execution procedures and that the one who is absent at this point is the president of the Corporation himself," he reproached Pedro San Ginés, who was absent from the plenary session during a large part of the appearance of the Territorial Policy Councilor.
