The organizations Sí Se Puede, Lanzarote En Pie, Nueva Canarias-Bloque Canarista, Podemos Canarias, Izquierda Unida Canarias, and Movimiento Sumar Canarias have disseminated this Friday, on the occasion of Canary Islands Day, a joint statement in which they call for reflection on the present and future of the Archipelago and advocate for a model based on social justice, environmental protection, and greater self-government.
In the text, the formations point out that the Canary Islands "deserve to be celebrated" and highlight the value of culture, traditions, territory, and community as fundamental elements of Canarian identity. However, they pose two questions: "What Canary Islands is being celebrated?" and "Which one is being lost?".
The parties maintain that the environmental degradation of the Islands and the progressive loss of natural heritage are linked to the mercantilist and demographic pressure on the territory and institutional neglect. As they explain, this situation also entails the disappearance of a part of the collective memory and the landscape that identifies the Canary Islands.
Likewise, they warn about the effects of urban pressure and touristification, which, they affirm, have transformed community living spaces and caused the expulsion of residents from traditional neighborhoods. In this regard, they refer to the difficulties of access to housing, families with problems affording rent, and the departure of young people who, as they indicate, find it increasingly complicated to develop their life projects in the Islands.
The statement also questions the current economic model and raises the need to decide "how we want to live on this land." The organizations consider that there is a "fracture" between the image of the Canary Islands projected by institutions and the daily reality of a part of the population.
In terms of self-government, they argue that sovereignty should not be limited to the institutional sphere, but should extend to the capacity to decide on the economic, social, environmental, and energy models of the Archipelago. They also demand the guarantee of the right to housing, the protection of common goods, the strengthening of public services, and the preservation of the territory against speculation.
The six organizations express their commitment to a Canary Islands where young people can build a life project, where natural and cultural heritage are protected, and where water, land, and landscape are cared for.
The statement concludes with a call for unity to face the problems that, they assure, are shared by Canarian society. "Loving the Canary Islands is defending every day the right to live here and taking care of what is ours without excluding anyone," the organizations point out, considering that it is still possible to "decide another direction" to turn the Canary Islands into "a place to sow the future and put down roots."
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