The historic socialist leader Jerónimo Saavedra, first president of the Canary Islands (1983-1987 and 1991-1993) and former Minister of Education and Science and Public Administrations, has died this Tuesday at the age of 87.
Saavedra (July 3, 1936), was also mayor of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Deputy of the Common (Autonomous Ombudsman).
Doctor of Law from the Complutense University of Madrid and renowned music lover, he was also the creator and promoter of the International Music Festival of the Canary Islands and created the Canary Islands Awards for Art, Historical Heritage and Sciences.
Saavedra's death was known during the celebration of the plenary session of the Parliament of the Canary Islands, whose president, Astrid Pérez (PP), has dedicated words of praise, as well as all the spokespersons of the groups and the president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo (CC), before keeping a minute of silence.
Likewise, the island secretary of the PSOE of Lanzarote, María Dolores Corujo, has expressed the regret of the socialist family and her own, for the death of Jerónimo Saavedra.
Corujo recalled that "Jerónimo has been everything, both in the organic life of the party and in institutional life, without forgetting his firm commitment to the UGT in defense of the rights of workers and trade union freedom".
"He was a man of enormous vitality and immense generosity who until the last day continued to share his experience and knowledge with the entire organization," he said.
For Corujo, "the loss of Jerónimo Saavedra is irreparable. His intellectual solidity, his political vision and his proven experience made him an irreplaceable reference figure in Canarian politics".
