The presidents of the Cabildos of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, Oswaldo Betancort and Lola García, respectively, met on Monday morning at the headquarters of the Island Corporation to address common problems. "Due to their proximity, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote share many peculiarities and points in common, and that is why it is necessary to coordinate these meetings that help us work together on issues that are key to citizens," said Betancort.
The water crisis that both islands have suffered has taken up a large part of this meeting in which both Cabildos have agreed to "request greater investment from the State in the island hydrological plans." However, the two islands have launched "investments with their own funds" which, in the case of Lanzarote, will be "90 million, in the next four years", and in the case of Fuerteventura, only in this 2023, 18 million euros have already been allocated for the immediate improvement of the integral water cycle with the forecast of continuing to increase the funds destined to improve the water supply in the next budget years.
In this sense, Betancort and García exchanged data and analysis of the real situation of the water cycles of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, with obsolete facilities, and an increase in consumption that requires urgent action plans.
On the other hand, the islands most affected by the migratory policy agree to "ask the competent institutions, the Spanish State and the European Union, to apply more measures to avoid this humanitarian drama" that has worsened alarmingly this summer, "controlling the mafias at source, and improving the care of the people who arrive" to the Canary coasts, as well as the "care of unaccompanied minors", in the face of which they demand greater solidarity commitment from the rest of the State.
In Lanzarote, minors occupy spaces that are not intended for this, such as the Albergue de La Santa and new infrastructures are lacking for their reception.
Fifty new megawatts for Lanzarote and Fuerteventura
Regarding the energy emergency declared by the Government of the Canary Islands, on October 2, the councils of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura were "in favor" of the measure, but as long as the singularities of both islands are taken into account, respecting the balance between the implementation of renewable energies and the conservation of the territory.
"We want to know the details of the express tender called by the government of Fernando Clavijo, which will boost the interconnected energy system between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura by 50 new megawatts, and accelerate its implementation as quickly as possible in the most respectful way possible with the environment," said Betancort.
The defense of the territory when installing new power lines by Red Eléctrica de España is a joint demand of both islands to achieve the burial of the new electrical wiring that is planned to be installed in the two eastern islands.
In social matters and care for the elderly, Oswaldo Betancort and Lola García will also demand that the Government of the Canary Islands and the central government "provide the two islands with the necessary socio-health infrastructures" to be able to respond to the current demands of a vulnerable population, in the case of dependent elderly people and, in the case of autonomous elderly people, they will demand that the "discriminatory treatment" given to Lanzarote and Fuerteventura in the Imserso scheduled trips be ended, whose sale of places is already in force
for this year, and that once again forces the elderly of the smaller islands to have to pay out of their own pocket the transfer to the capital islands in order to start any of the tourist packages planned in the travel program.
"In short, this first visit of the president of the Cabildo of Majorera has served to put on the table many problems that we share with the sister island and strengthen the eastern axis to make a common and solid front that gets response and commitment from the competent institutions," concluded Betancort, thanking Lola García for her empathy and closeness, with whom he will hold new meetings in which the financial files that they will request from the Government of the Canary Islands will be specified in order to carry out island projects.
