The Local Committee of Nueva Canarias-Bloque Canarista (NC-BC) in San Bartolomé wanted to declare its resounding rejection of what they consider a "dangerous occurrence" by Coalición Canaria (CC), which proposes building a parking lot in Montaña Blanca with a path that leads tourists to the famous "cracks".
For the Canaristas, "this proposal goes in the opposite direction to the citizen's feeling of sustainability and containment of tourism, which is causing situations of saturation and discomfort in various locations in Lanzarote."
"When the debate is being directed to try to mitigate the effects of the increasing presence of tourists in every corner of Lanzarote, CC continues with developmental yearnings proposing parking lots for tourists in rural towns where residents live quietly," says Pablo Yebra, spokesperson for NC-BC in San Bartolomé.
The Canaristas believe that the problem of "Las Grietas" comes as a result of a lack of control and protection of natural spaces. Thus, they continue alluding to the fact that "the vision of the Biosphere Reserve is being distorted, allowing tourists to roam freely through every corner of the island without limits or control. Moreover, proposals such as those of CC normalize this practice and adapt the island to the demands of foreigners, even if it takes away the landscape and quality of life of the residents."
"The Manrique vision of the Centers of Art, Culture and Tourism sought precisely to delimit the tourist spaces of the island, guiding and controlling tourists in their visit to Lanzarote. If we let the tourists themselves establish the priorities, areas, places and sites to visit, we will be mortgaging the exclusive image of the island and we will have serious management problems like the ones we have today with Las Grietas," says Yebra, who warns that "today it will be Las Grietas and tomorrow it could be another place that goes viral on social networks. What's next, a shopping center in Montaña Blanca?"
Therefore, NC-BC is positioned against colonizing more territory and localities for tourist activity, and urges the Island Council to put a stop to visits to this location that is not regulated or classified as a Zone of Tourist Interest.
"We propose, first of all, not to normalize a situation that is not normal, since tourists should not be accessing that place that is even dangerous due to landslides. Secondly, that access be prohibited until the society of Lanzarote decides if Las Grietas have a landscape, heritage or tourist interest for the island. In the case of deciding that Las Grietas should be a new tourist enclave, it should be managed from a comprehensive planning as any Zone of Tourist Interest," says Pablo Yebra.
