The Cabildo of Lanzarote has paid 2,378,809.04 euros to the City Council of Haría, in compliance with the judicial order that determines the amount of legal interest for the use of the Cueva de Los Verdes between the years 2010 and 2016. However, the mayor of Haría, Alfredo Villalba, highlighted last January that the calculations made by the municipal technicians increased this amount to 2,896,652 euros.
This payment gives continuity to the agreement reached between both institutions in 2016 and ratified judicially in November 2024, and "thus closes one of the most prolonged litigations between public administrations on the island", according to the Cabildo in a statement.
The president of the Cabildo, Oswaldo Betancort, has expressed his satisfaction with the conclusion of this process and has underlined the effort of the Island Corporation to defend the general interests of the island. “From the Cabildo we have always defended that the management of public resources must be rigorous and transparent, and this order ratifies our commitment to the defense of the general interest of Lanzarote”, he added.
Betancort has also made "an appeal to the City Council of Haría to make a responsible and transformative use of the resources now received". “We hope that these funds will be used to improve public infrastructures and equipment that will benefit the residents of Haría. It is time to look to the future and bet on projects that promote the quality of life in the municipality”, said Betancort.
The Cabildo has pointed out that the amount paid by the Cabildo is much lower than the more than 5.6 million euros initially claimed by the northern consistory, which has meant a saving of more than 3.2 million euros for the island's coffers. With this payment, the first Island Corporation reaffirms its will for institutional collaboration and its commitment to the stability and harmonious development of the island territory, leaving behind a conflict that lasted for more than a decade.
The judicial order concludes again that the Island Institution owes the City Council the legal interest accrued for the 12,914,896.37 euros between November 25, 2010 and November 3, 2016, according to a final judgment issued by court number 5, dated February 10, 2015. The more than 12 million euros were set in an addendum signed in 2020 by both administrations.
