Podemos denounces that the CACT continue to rent premises in Marina Rubicón after the contract expires

The Podemos group in the Cabildo of Lanzarote has denounced that the Tourist Centers continue to rent the premises of the Marina Rubicón marina, despite the fact that the two-year period stipulated in the contract signed in 2015 between the EPEL and the property of the port expired on July 1. In addition, the formation recalls that the Councilor for Tourism, Echedey Eugenio, assured last March that the contract would not be renewed and that even the premises used as a workshop would be handed over on March 31, but that announcement has not been fulfilled.

"We are witnessing a new episode of a soap opera that has lasted too long," warns the spokesman for Podemos in the Cabildo, Carlos Meca, who considers that "it is indecent for José Juan Lorenzo to continue using his position as CEO of the Tourist Centers to finance an illegal port, Marina Rubicón, owned by his family, with public money."

For Meca, "it is not admissible that the Tourist Centers have paid 72,000 euros in two years to an illegal marina such as Marina Rubicón, much less that they continue to be paid once the contract has expired." Thus, he insists that "the Cabildo must break all ties with a port that in Lanzarote is synonymous with bribery and corruption", since the former mayor of Yaiza himself, José Francisco Reyes, confessed in the Yate case to having received gifts and cash from various businessmen in exchange for the concession of this and other illegal licenses in Playa Blanca.

From workshop for the museum to premises for private use by DeCaires

Podemos also recalls that although the premises were initially rented for the artist Jason deCaires to work on the work of the underwater museum, they were finally also used as an information office for this new tourist center. And according to them, that office "remained open to the public" on Monday morning, despite the fact that the contract with Marina Rubicón has already expired.

In addition, the rest of the premises that DeCaires used as a workshop for the construction of the underwater museum were still being used this Monday "by the artist's staff", according to the formation. In this regard, it should be recalled that Podemos already denounced last March that the premises, paid for by the Tourist Centers, "were being used for the artist's private work and even to teach painting classes".

For this reason, in the plenary session held on March 30, Podemos requested the appearance of Councilor Echedey Eugenio, "to give explanations about the use of the premises rented by the Centers to Marina Rubicón at a price of around 3,000 euros per month." In his response, Eugenio said that he was unaware that the premises were being used for matters other than the underwater museum and announced that the contract would not be renewed after July 1 and that even the institution would leave those premises on the last day of March.

However, on May 5, Podemos recalls that he again asked in writing in the Plenary if these premises were still being rented by the Centers, "but the answer never came." Now, the party has been able to verify that these premises have not yet been abandoned, despite the fact that the work on the underwater museum was completed months ago and despite the fact that the rental contract has already expired.