The Socialist Group in the Arrecife City Council has described it as “inadmissible and shameful” that the mayor, Yonathan de León, and the Councilor for Sports, Eli Merino, have decided to stamp their faces on the trophies awarded during the Arrecife City Tournament 3x3 Basketball, Marcial Martín Memorial.
For the PSOE of Arrecife, this gesture completely distorts the meaning of a memorial, which should focus on respect and remembrance of Marcial Martín, “turning a sincere tribute into a showcase for political self-promotion.”
Roy González, councilor of the Socialist Group, has been forceful: “Incredible. The organizers have to pay this price just to receive institutional support. To the point of putting the mayor and the councilor above the person to whom this memorial is really dedicated. A total and unacceptable lack of respect for the memory of Marcial Martín and the sports community that makes the event possible.”
The socialist councilor also stressed that this fact implies an inappropriate use of public resources for political marketing purposes and a distortion of the meaning of the event, which loses its essence when the personal image of the political leaders is put before it.
“Not everything is valid to look for a like on social networks. The institutions are there to accompany and serve, not to worship themselves. The memory of Marcial Martín and the effort of the organizers deserve respect and institutional dignity”, added González.
The PSOE of Arrecife has demanded that the government group rectify this type of practice inappropriate for a public institution and that, in the future, the true meaning of tributes and memorials in the city be respected.
