The Councilor for Security and Police, Jacobo Lemes, has gone this Friday to the Buenos Días Lanzarote program of Radio Lanzarote- Onda Cero to defend himself against the accusations of the Councilor of Nueva Canarias, Armando Santana, who pointed out that Lemes had insulted him and had put "his hand on him", in addition to having suffered "harassment and psychological abuse" by members of Coalición Canaria.
How are you?
Well, it's Friday and with many things to do. But well, I thought I had to come and give explanations about some very serious accusations
Very serious, we are talking about insults, a hand on, harassment and psychological abuse. Tell me, what happened? So that he says, in addition, that there were witnesses at that moment in which they had a discussion about the Arrecife Sunset festival
First of all, I would like to apologize not to Armando, because I don't have to apologize for saying what I think, but to the citizens. When they elect us, they don't elect us for these theaters. They elect us to work, and I should be in the Police office at this time. And I have had to come to the media, which is also part of my job, to defend myself. Look, I have a career, an education and an ethic from a very young age. Thank God I have a family, a father and a mother. I have been fighting for 22 years in the wrestling arenas, that they have never kicked me out and I have never had a problem of this type. Twelve years of public office and the closest thing to this that I have had was once when Eva De Anta expelled Samuel and me. And with all the reason in the world.
Was Eva De Anta right?
Yes. She told us to shut up and we didn't shut up. But there was no violence there either, let's make that clear. When they told me: "Mr. Lemes, leave", I got up and left very obediently. What I said was as a result of some statements that this man made on Monday, after canceling the concert that was in the Parque Islas Canarias. On Monday, I arrive at the group meeting, which was in the plenary hall, and I find him outside. And I address him, very angry, it's true. I address him angry and I tell him that it's enough, that I'm tired of his clowning, that every time an event doesn't work out for him, he only makes the nationalist group get involved. I repeated it to him many times. And what he has to do is get to work and that he is a lazy bum. I did say that. And I recognize it. Santana is not going to work. That thing he said yesterday on the air that he was at 7:00 in the morning in the Parque Islas Canarias until 7:00 in the afternoon on Saturday, what did he think? That the stork was going to bring him the permits? The permits are worked on in the town hall during working hours. The files are moved there. And the reality is that the file was opened on Thursday first thing in the morning when neighbors, citizens, associations, groups, clubs are asked for 15 days to present the documentation. And two reports from areas, which are not from Coalición Canaria, where they told him: One, that there was no time to study the file and, two, that he did not have permission from Costas. That is the reality of this concert. Then he has invented a circus.
Let's see, the concert did not have permits from Costas, which I think the production company had to ask for. And by the engineer
The engineer of the technical office did not have time to study the file because the engineer is not waiting for a surprise file to arrive; the file of a concert is requested three weeks before.
Has it always been requested for this type to Costas?
It seems that it has been requested. Even San Ginés had permission from Costas, just like the beach area. Where it had never been requested, it is true, is in El Charco because if not, it costs nothing to ask in the same document El Charco San Ginés. But well, it will be put.
Yes, in fact, the Arrecife En Vivo also had permission from Costas, right?
Exactly. María Jesús Tobar ratified that the acts of the elderly also had their permits from Costas.
And there was also a security issue
The security plan has a part that informs the police, which had been informed, because he personally did us the favor. Look at what I wanted to boycott this act. That I personally called and looked for three policemen because in the police we did not have service from a Friday to a Saturday to cover the act at night. And his technician was called on Friday before the press conference to tell him what the situation of that file was. Clarity was requested. Our surprise was on Monday, which is when the event is suspended, which by the way someone pays. Because what must be made clear to the citizens is that, thanks to the negligence of this man, the City Council had to put sound, which was put. The company provided the service and it was not used. But that has to be paid. And we, the people of Arrecife, are going to pay for that.
For some time now we have been seeing that there is a bad vibe, to put it vulgarly, in the government group between two sides: there is Coalición Canaria on one side and the Partido Popular with Eli Medino and Armando Santana on the other. But of course, these are already very serious accusations of psychological abuse, harassment, insults. The citizens were outraged yesterday
I live most of the meetings. We are two different parties, we have two different visions of the city, both the Partido Popular and CC of Arrecife. And we have our differences within the meetings, of course. Within the meetings. As I have had them when the socialist party governed, as I have had them in other mandates. But then agreements are reached. And if I am wrong, I apologize and move on. We are here to work for the people. Now, accusations of psychological abuse and harassment, this is not denounced here on Radio Lanzarote. You have to go to court. If he has so much evidence, so many witnesses that I put my hand on him, let him go. Because in my life I have never put my hand on anyone. And in Armando it is not worth spending the first time in me hitting someone, it is not worth it. Because he is a person who moves very well in the mud. He is a person who, as he has no management capacity, has to use the media for these things. And that's how it is. He is a person who is very worried because he is going to go from being a residual force to disappearing. And that is what the polls say. And that is the great problem that Armando has and the nervousness that Armando has. But what is this about me putting my hand on him? I used to see that in children, in schoolyards. That we come here to manage. We, Coalición Canaria, have a city model and we want to manage. I am very worried about security in Arrecife. I don't have time to go and grab with Armando Santana.
You are the Councilor for Security and Police
I am the Councilor for Security and during the week I experience a lot of attention from very angry citizens, who cannot imagine it, who arrive very indignant. I was a Councilor from 2012 to 2015 for Police, and what I have in this pact. And I still have not had a complaint from a person who has left my office telling me that I treated her aggressively. I don't have a complaint, out of 500 workers, labeled as aggressive. I don't have a complaint from a citizen. And am I going to have a complaint from a political rival?
At this moment, how can they govern a city with these accusations?
We of the government group are two organizations. We have a pact. Armando is there because he was already there. We have signed a pact with the PP.
But no one is fooled. You are not happy with the PP nor are they with you
We are two different parties. It was a very difficult pact after the socialist party governed with the PP for a long time. We have entered. The situation is not easy, but it is very respectful.
Is it respectful?
It is respectful. And whoever says otherwise is lying. Is it true that there are discussions? Of course, it would be missing more.
But hasn't the tone been raised on many occasions?
The tone has not been raised. Who is going to raise the tone? Do you know our spokesman? Have you ever seen Echedey shout? I have never seen him aggressive. Armando Santana does not have a project with this city. Nueva Canaria does not have a project with this city. He only feeds on the mud, on the accusations. It is not the first time. I was coming here on the motorcycle and I was remembering similar accusations to Alejandro and Leticia Padilla, from Lanzarote En Pie. Management is what shows if you are a good councilor. That is why the commerce of Arrecife is as it is. You go on a Saturday to the market in the Plaza de Las Palmas and from being full, there are two stalls left. And that is the management that Armando Santana does not like me to tell him. When someone disagrees with him or when things don't work out for him, because you have to be in the City Council, he throws shit at the nationalist group. The strong man is Pedro San Ginés.
It was one of the accusations that Armando said: "that "you are the man or the right hand of Pedro San Ginés and perhaps those ways have stuck to you"
Well, I am now the right hand, before it was Echedey, then it will be Samuel Martín and then it will be Midalia. I belong to a group and, within my ethics, I work as a team, whether you like it or not. Now, that Armando Santana tells me, well, it neither enters nor leaves me, sincerely. Because it is not an insult to be next to Pedro San Ginés either. Now, sewers, corruption, I have not gone to court for any accusation of corruption in 12 years in the Arrecife City Council. And that is difficult in the Arrecife City Council. Not for harassment, not for violence. Not one. Governing many of these 12 years. I don't even have to defend myself. Who knows me knows. I come from the world of wrestling, where with the people we were headbutting we went out for drinks. This man comes from moving, he comes from a Partido Popular. It must be remembered that he was a candidate of the PP in Haría. Someone told me yesterday that he was also affiliated with the PIL. Then he comes to kiss the flag of the 7 stars. The important thing with a public office is to have enthusiasm and a project for your neighbors. And Nueva Canaria does not have this. He is demonstrating it. Because to go out to the media he has to go out with these accusations so serious.
Are you going to do something with these accusations?
I have the habit that when I take the step, I don't have to announce it, what has to come will come to him.
And now, from the point of view of the citizens. Did Astrid call you?
She hasn't called me. There wasn't a meeting for this. Surely Saro explained it wrong. And I had some words on Monday morning before the meeting. And after arguing with him, I entered the meeting.
And did the meeting go well?
There was no blood, no guts and no need to bring ice for the blows I gave him outside the plenary. A little irony because I have to take it with irony because really... I have a wife, a 16-year-old daughter. And I'm not going to allow him to call me an abuser. That he calls me an abuser with my mother and father listening to the radio. But what is this? Am I coming here to present myself to a circus? I come to defend myself from those who have voted for me and those who have not. I am worried about what is going to happen tonight in La Marina de Arrecife, that the neighbors complain about the bars because they have noise at night. Or tomorrow if the Andy and Lucas concert is held, before they were telling me in another medium that if they took the festival to another municipality. The people of Arrecife have just lost a festival in our capital. Congratulations also to Teguise if its Councilor for Tourism is able to manage what ours is not able to manage. What insecurity does this person have that he has to insult a third party? It is the first time I have seen it in politics, that a person is accused so seriously.
Are you going to ask Astrid to dismiss Armando Santana?
We, I repeat, the actions that we have to ask with this man, we are not going to make it public. Then it will be transferred to the media. I have already made the decision of what I am going to do personally. And I already had meetings yesterday for that.
And as a group of Coalición Canaria?
As a group we have not met because between yesterday and today we had an agenda, we have an act on Friday in Tenerife of some colleagues who are not going to be in Lanzarote. We will meet the committee to decide.
Are we going to ask for the dismissal or are we leaving?
We have talked, I am not going to tell you lies. But I am not going to tell you what we are going to do because we have not made the decision.