Photos: Sergio Betancort
More than 400 residents of Tías and socialist supporters and affiliates supported the socialist candidacy for the City Council in its presentation in Puerto del Carmen. The mayor of Tías and socialist candidate, José Juan Cruz Saavedra, was accompanied by the local secretary, José Alberto Reyes, the candidate for the Cabildo, Manuela Armas, and the candidate for Parliament and island secretary, Manuel Fajardo.
Cruz Saavedra expressed his gratitude to the Socialist Group of Tías "for trusting me to lead this candidacy and, above all, I want to thank each and every member of this candidacy because with people like them it will be very difficult for us not to win these elections." "We have a truly exciting team, they have an enviable desire to work and fight. With people like that I'll go anywhere, to any place. And be clear that together we will go wherever it takes for this municipality to continue advancing, for this municipality to have what it deserves."
The mayor had words of recognition for the councilors who are not repeating: "But if the members of the candidacy are of a special kind of wood, I don't know what adjective to use for the councilors who have decided to give way to the new colleagues. While in the rest of the parties, while in other municipalities, they give pitiful shows to be on the lists, here, in Tías, the councilors who are not repeating continue working in their council positions with the same eagerness as the first days, with the same dedication and with the same joy. How lucky to have socialists like that, how lucky we are to be surrounded by people like that, who think in terms of the party, who sacrifice themselves for a project and for this municipality."
Cruz Saavedra joked about his tiredness. "Our political rivals say I'm tired. I must admit, it's true, I'm tired. I'm tired of hearing so much nonsense. I'm tired of parties bringing candidates to Tías who are picked up at any dinner with friends in exchange for perks in other places. I'm tired of them having no idea about this municipality. I'm tired of their irresponsible demagoguery, their lies and their false accusations. I'm tired of seeing that the years go by and they don't learn, I'm tired of them not realizing yet that politics consists, fundamentally, in seeking the well-being of our neighbors, in providing them with good services, good infrastructure and, above all, respect and a lot of consideration. That's what I'm tired of. That's the only thing I'm tired of."
"On the other hand, just looking at this municipality, this town, my party colleagues, my candidacy colleagues, I feel full of energy, excited as the first day. I think about what we have done in these years here and what others have done in their places of government and it comforts me. I remember when the liars of always said that we would not fulfill our promise to build a pavilion and there is the pavilion, when they said that the sports schools would be a failure, there they are with more than a thousand children and young people practicing sports. When they said that we would not be able to have a continuous cultural offer, there is one of the best on the whole island. They said that we would not finish the Town Hall, today it is the envy of the rest of the municipalities. They said that we would not put up a market and now we see them buying salted fish, pejines, vegetables and cheeses on Saturday mornings. They also said that we would not put in a municipal public transport and they are already going crazy waiting to catch the bus from April. The first municipal collective transport of a non-capital municipality of Lanzarote is in Tías; the first theater, in Tías, the best grassroots sports network, in Tías, the best social services, in Tías" he said among the applause of the attendees.
"We have been the first in many things and we will continue to be so. And we are. We are the first to present our candidates to our electorate, the whole list, without fear, with pride, with humility, with transparency, we have nothing to hide, we like the cards on the table. Who are the ones who are tired? Who are the ones who leave things for the last moment? Who are the ones who don't dare to say the members of the list for fear of a scandal?"
These were some of the words of the socialist candidate who was acclaimed and supported by affiliates and the rest of the candidates for the other six town councils, the Cabildo and the Parliament