New Canarias demands that Tías act to recover the old cemetery of La Candelaria

Nueva Canarias-Bloque Canarista (NC-BC) in Tías has demanded immediate action from the City Council to recover the old Cemetery of La Candelaria, after a report from the Heritage Inspection of the Cabildo Insular de Lanzarote confirms "the serious state of abandonment and deterioration" of this historic enclave, one of the most relevant heritage elements of the municipality.

The Canarian organization recalls that it was the one that denounced this situation on September 30, 2025, to the Tías City Council and the Cabildo de Lanzarote, alerting to the progressive deterioration of the site and demanding urgent measures to guarantee its conservation. Thus, they point out that almost a year later, the report issued by the island institution confirms the warnings made by NC-BC.

The document concludes that the old Cemetery of La Candelaria presents a "very deficient" state of conservation. Among the main detected deficiencies is the disappearance of the roofs of the structures located on both sides of the main access, a circumstance that is causing new construction pathologies and accelerating the deterioration of the property.

Likewise, the Cabildo Insular recalls that the complex formed by the hermitage of La Candelaria and the old cemetery has heritage protection as it is included in the Catalog of Architectural and Monumental Heritage of the Lanzarote Island Master Plan, so the competent administrations have the legal obligation to guarantee its conservation.

The spokesperson for NC-BC in Tías, Juan de León, indicated that "today an official report from the Cabildo proves that we were right and confirms that the state of the cemetery is a direct consequence of the lack of conservation and maintenance by the City Council."

De León also highlighted that "the most serious aspect of the report is that the Heritage Inspection itself recalls that the Law of Cultural Heritage of the Canary Islands obliges the conservation of these assets and warns that the breach of this duty may constitute an administrative infraction. We are no longer facing a political criticism from NC-BC, but an official confirmation from the competent administration in heritage matters."

For NC-BC, it is especially worrying that the City Council has allowed one of the most emblematic historical spaces in Tías "to reach this level of deterioration despite the repeated warnings made during the last year."

Therefore, the Canarist formation demands that the governing group publicly report on the actions it intends to carry out to comply with the requirement conveyed by the Cabildo and to present, immediately, a calendar of actions that includes the drafting and execution of the rehabilitation project of the old Cemetery of La Candelaria.

“The historical heritage of Tías cannot continue to degrade due to the passivity of those who have the responsibility to protect it. The City Council must assume its obligation, act without further delay, and be accountable to the citizens,” concluded Juan de León.