La Graciosa is once again left without burial plots barely four years after the cemetery's expansion

The lack of space in the San Simeón Cemetery, in Caleta del Sebo, once again takes center stage in the debate in La Graciosa. Barely four years after the last expansion carried out by the Teguise City Council, available niches are running out again, reopening a problem that the island's residents have been denouncing for years.

From Primero Teguise, they consider that this situation highlights the lack of planning that, in their opinion, affects numerous infrastructures and public services on the Eighth Island.

“What is worrying is that an expansion that was sold as a solution has barely lasted four years. That means it was not planned thinking about the real needs of the island, but simply to get by,” states Jonás Álvarez, councilor for Primero Teguise.

The party recalls that in 2021 the City Council carried out an expansion of 15 niches after warnings about the cemetery's lack of capacity. However, the fact that this action has proven insufficient in such a short time leads to questioning the forecasts used to dimension a project that once again leaves the island facing the same problem.

For Primero Teguise, the issue transcends a specific action and highlights the need for planning adapted to the reality of La Graciosa.

“La Graciosa cannot be managed like any other town. Living on an island means added difficulties in accessing services, moving around, or carrying out procedures. Precisely for this reason, the City Council should make an extra effort in planning and foresight. Our neighbors cannot be continuously waiting for problems to explode for someone to act,” points out Álvarez.

The islandist party maintains that in recent years it has denounced various deficiencies related to sports facilities, social services, cultural spaces, and public infrastructure on the island.

“We always hear the same answer: we are working on it. But the reality is that problems continue to accumulate. Now we are talking about niches, but tomorrow it will be any other need that was left for the last minute,” adds the councilor.

From Primero Teguise, they also emphasize that this is a particularly sensitive issue for the residents of La Graciosa, as it directly affects the place where their relatives and loved ones rest.

“It may seem like a minor issue to someone observing it from an office in Lanzarote, but for a small island like La Graciosa, it is not. We are talking about the place where we say goodbye to our family and loved ones. Ensuring sufficient space in the cemetery should not be a debatable issue or a last-minute emergency. It is part of the respect we owe to our neighbors and to our own history,” states Álvarez.

Therefore, Primero Teguise requests that the Teguise City Council publicly inform about the current capacity of the cemetery, the existing occupancy forecasts, and the planned actions to prevent this situation from recurring in the coming years.

“We don’t just want a new emergency expansion to get by. We want serious planning, based on real data and designed for the coming decades. Because if an expansion is exhausted in four years, it’s not a matter of bad luck or fate, it’s a matter of planning,” concludes Jonás Álvarez.