The president of the El Hierro Island Council, Tomás Padrón, believes that the mayor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Miguel Zerolo, has fallen "short" in asking for a form of self-government for the Canary Islands as a free state associated with Europe. For the 'bimbache' (demonym that implies another of his demands) the Canary Islands have the right, like the rest of the peoples, to self-determination and, within that independence, would demand for their Island the status of "free associated".
This was indicated during an interview granted to Canary Islands Television within the 'Buenos Días Canarias' program. When asked by Carmelo Rivero about his opinion regarding Zerolo's statements, in which he proposed a form of self-government as a free associated state for the Canary Islands in the style of Puerto Rico with the United States, Padrón considered that he fell "short" in his demands.
For the island president, the Canary Islands "have the right to a more complete self-government", specifically "to the maximum self-government". For Padrón, independence "is a right that all peoples have" and considers that the Canary Islands "have the propitious conditions" because they have a "tradition of self-government" and a "personality" shaped by their geography.
In this sense, Padrón went further, demanding within that future community the condition of "Free Associated Island" for El Hierro. "I demand within that community El Hierro as a free associated island," he declared.
Not only that, but he ran against the dual capital. "The capital must be placed in one place and I propose either Valverde or El Pinar," he said. In addition, he proposed recovering the bimbache gentilic to refer to the inhabitants of El Hierro rather than the herreño.
NATIONALISM, CRISIS AND VOTES
Padrón referred to many issues. Regarding the role of the Canarian Coalition (CC), he considers that "the fly of sleep has bitten him" and urges to make a diagnosis "of what is happening to Canarian nationalism".
"We should all the leaders of nationalism meet in El Hierro and smoke the pipe of peace," he said, asking the Canarian president, Paulino Rivero, Rivero to govern thinking of the seven Islands from "Sabinoso to La Oliva".
He also referred to the economic crisis, assuring that due to this situation the Canary Islands will end up emigrating "not to America because the possibility of Venezuela does not exist" but, he warned, "we will have to think about immigration to Africa".
On the other hand, regarding the recent electoral process, he commented: "It offends us and angers the people of El Hierro that they tell us that our vote is worth more than any vote from a larger island, it is a lie, all the parties opt in the same conditions and they are equal votes for all".
Thus, he assured that Narvay Quintero was not elected senator "by a handful of voters in Venezuela, but by the people of El Hierro who are from El Hierro anywhere in the world".
Finally, regarding the Ministry of Defense's intention to install a radar in Malpaso, he commented that it is difficult to know with precision what the people of El Hierro would be capable of doing in that case. "But we would oppose it," he concluded.
ACN Press
