Pedro San Ginés Gutiérrez was proclaimed this Saturday as the new General Secretary of the Canarian Coalition in Lanzarote and La Graciosa, obtaining 95% of the votes in favor out of a total of 178 cast by the delegates present at the VII Island Congress of the Canarian nationalist formation, held at the Civic Center of Costa Teguise.
Current senator for the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands and president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote between 2009 and 2019, San Ginés will be accompanied in the new Executive of CC in Lanzarote and La Graciosa by Samuel Martín, as deputy secretary and island manager; Olivia Duque, in the Secretariat of Organization; Abigail González, as deputy secretary of Organization; and Aroa Revelo, as head of the new Vice-Secretariat of Territorial Action, Municipal and Organizational Coordination, which, according to the new General Secretary, will acquire special relevance during his term.
“The Local Committees are the basis of the Canarian Coalition, they must be revitalized, kept informed, their opinion taken into account in decision-making and given the place that corresponds to them in making contact with the demands and needs of society; and for this purpose we have created a new figure such as the Vice-Secretariat of Territorial Action, Municipal and Organizational Coordination, which is what will allow us to do so,” he remarked during his speech.
A newly created Vice-Secretariat “that will allow us to connect society with the party and the party with the governments,” added Pedro San Ginés, who described the internal process experienced by this formation in the weeks prior to the celebration of the Congress as “beautiful and enriching” “from recognition and respect for the adversary.”
Fernando Clavijo
San Ginés expressed his gratitude to the outgoing General Secretary, Migdalia Machín, “for having consolidated the Canarian Coalition as a leading political formation on the Island”, to “the entire party” for the support offered and “especially” to the national secretary of CC and president of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, “a great president, a great friend and a great person.”
For his part, Fernando Clavijo highlighted in his speech “the loyalty and commitment” shown by Migdalia Machín as island secretary, thanked the “unity effort” made in the pre-congress process and was “fully available to the new Executive to obtain the best results in the history of CC in 2027.” He also highlighted “the work in the municipalities as the main strength and main goal of the Canarian Coalition as a national organization, because having strong municipalities we will have strong Cabildos and a strong Canarian Government.”
One of the most emotional moments of the morning was during the speech of Migdalia Machín, who thanked the collaboration received during her nine years at the head of the General Secretariat of the Canarian Coalition in Lanzarote and La Graciosa, as did Echedey Eugenio, Secretary of Organization of the Canarian nationalist formation in both islands also during the last nine years. Both had the unanimous vote in favor of their management at the head of the outgoing Executive by the delegates.
Also present was the national Secretary of Organization, David Toledo, who described the Canarian Coalition as “an organization committed to the most essential values of what it means to be a nationalist,” which will continue fighting “with zeal to advance in the self-government of the Canary Islands, in the political, institutional, social and business unity of the Archipelago, and so that more nationalist voices are heard in Madrid.”
For his part, the president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, encouraged the new Executive of CC in Lanzarote and La Graciosa to “connect with the citizens and to be behind every problem that our two islands have,” while encouraging the rest of the political formations to establish a “unity pact” to address the main problems of both. Olivia Duque also spoke, who highlighted municipalism as the “cornerstone of the Canarian Coalition” and alluded to the need to “work side by side with the local committees, create bonds and generate enthusiasm.”
Political Council and Executive Secretariats
During the Congress, the new Island Political Council of CC in Lanzarote and La Graciosa was formed, consisting of David Montes, Ascensión Toledo, Jacobo Lemes, Orlando Umpiérrez, Rafael Juan Robayna, Carmen Rosa Márquez and Maite Corujo representing the Local Committee of Arrecife; Domingo Cejas, Adrián Villalba and Miriam Jorge (Teguise); Nicolás Rodríguez, Juan Fermín Niz and Yurena Cubas (Tinajo); David Rocío, Jonathan Castellano and Jovita Rodríguez (San Bartolomé); Mateo Ramón, Estefanía Reyes and Tania Ramón (Yaiza); Miguel Figuera and Carmen García (Haría); Luis García and Madeley Cabrera (Tías) and Alicia Páez (La Graciosa).
Likewise, the Executive Secretariats were formed. Maciot Cabrera, belonging to the Local Committee of Arrecife and secretary of the Nationalist Youth, will hold the one for Housing and Demographic Challenge; Toni Callero (Local Committee of Teguise) will be in charge of Political Action and Electoral Strategy; Corín Machado (San Bartolomé) will assume Employment and Training; Emilio Machín (Yaiza), Identity and Culture; Amado Vizcaíno (Tías), Municipal Tourist Coordination; Pilar González (Haría), Equality and Diversity; Jesús Machín Tavío (Tinajo), Territorial Policy and Urbanism; and Nieves Arrocha will assume the Secretariat of La Graciosa.
In this sense, Pedro San Ginés highlighted the creation for the first time of an exclusive Executive Secretariat for La Graciosa and announced that the island Executive of CC will have for the first time a representative with the right to vote “representing civil society that has chosen this land of welcome as their place of residence and where to develop their life project.”
Presentations
Developed under the slogan 'Roots that unite us. Future that drives us', during the celebration of the VII Island Congress of CC, the modifications introduced to the political and organizational presentations that will mark the strategic lines of the party for the next four years were also voted on and approved. Both were approved unanimously.
The political presentation, called “Lanzarote, towards a sustainable future”, proposes a roadmap for the development of both islands, focused on the demographic challenge, population roots, a quality tourism model, urban planning regulation and sustainability as a transversal axis of the economic, social and territorial model. The organizational one, entitled “Organization Regulations”, adapts the regulations to the new organizational structure and the incorporation of key figures to reinforce internal structure and the participation of the Local Committees.
