The socialist deputy Marcos Bergaz has demanded this Tuesday in the plenary session of Parliament from the Government of the Canary Islands and the Cabildo of Lanzarote that they do not falsely close the conflict generated by the Renewable Acceleration Zone (ZAR), and that they take advantage of the recent “institutional truce” announced by both institutions to restart the process from consensus and with respect for the island's landscape and territory
During his speech, Bergaz highlighted the more than eight months of "clashes, contradictions and inconsistencies" between both administrations, governed by Coalición Canaria (CC) and Partido Popular (PP), which have generated uncertainty and deteriorated the good institutional image.
“We have been more than 240 days in which everything has been said: that the ZAR is null and void, that the monitoring commission would not be activated —now the Cabildo says yes— or that the maps published by the Canarian Government are corrected, while the Cabildo denies it,” he pointed out.
The deputy also appealed to the recent manifesto signed by the island councils of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, in which both frontally reject the current model of the ZAR.
However, Bergaz recalled that there are clear differences between the two islands: in Lanzarote, president Oswaldo Betancort signed, endorsed, and boasted about this Renewable Acceleration Zone, and even voted in favor of the suppression of the environmental evaluation of the projects. In Fuerteventura, governed by CC-PSOE, no ZAR has been signed nor did its president support the elimination of environmental guarantees.
“Even so, -he continued- I am glad that both councils now agree on a manifesto to defend another development model for renewables compatible with the territory and the landscape”.
“But that said, it must not remain a toast to the sun, but rather be a turning point to rethink the ZAR of Lanzarote. For this it is essential to dialogue with the seven municipalities of the island and not falsely close the conflict”, insisted Bergaz.
The deputy urged the Minister of Ecological Transition, Mariano H. Zapata, and the president of the Cabildo, Oswaldo Betancort, to paralyze the ZAR, “since as long as nothing else is published, the Official Gazette continues to include the controversial proposal that affects more than 3,100 hectares of the island,” and to restart the process from the agreement, putting an end to this “institutional soap opera” and protecting the landscape and territory of a unique island like Lanzarote.
Bergaz concluded: “I warned you from minute one, counselor, that it was going to get complicated for you because this ZAR is unacceptable, and I was not wrong. Today I tell you and the Cabildo to let yourselves be helped and restart the process from dialogue and agreement not only with the Cabildo but with the seven Town Councils and the island society.”