The citizen movement against oil exploration has defended the Canarian consultation in the face of the precautionary suspension by the Constitutional Court (TC) and has assured that it is "protected" by the regulations for consultations with citizens of interest in the Canarian Law for the Promotion of Citizen Participation. For this reason, it has demanded that the Government of the Canary Islands "maintain its commitment" to the people and continue with the consultation "through the already decided way or any other way".
"Do not allow the economic interests of a multinational oil company such as Repsol to prevail over the legitimate right of this people to be consulted on how they want their future to be," requested this movement, which has pledged to continue working to continue with the citizen mobilization against "the oil imposition of a government that does not listen" until the "oil project" is stopped.
In addition, he wanted to clarify that the TC's resolution "is not a decision on the legality of the consultation as Repsol's spokespersons want to make believe", but rather it is an automatic precautionary paralysis, as the appeal presented by the Council of Ministers was admitted for processing.
Therefore, this movement understands that the appeal is "the political response of the Government of Spain in defense of the petty interests of the multinational oil company Repsol" and "the expression of fear of the sovereign will of a dignified people." "The trick used by the Government of Spain has no other intention than to gag the Canary Islands and prevent citizens from expressing their opinion on how they want their future to be in terms of social, economic and environmental development," they said from this platform.
"Disdain" from the Government and Soria
For this movement, this whole situation means "continuing to influence the contempt" for the arguments that have been articulated from Canarian society against oil exploration in order to "not put at risk the water supply, the richness of marine biodiversity that exists in the waters of the Canary Islands and the main economic and employment source, such as tourism activity".
From this movement they have recalled that the people of the Canary Islands have been expressing in the streets for more than two years their "firm decision" against oil, starring historical mobilizations throughout the Archipelago. "This has already been a way of expressing their will that, however, has been absolutely despised by the Government of Spain and, in particular, by the Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism, José Manuel Soria," they criticized.
In addition, this group against exploration considers that, if the citizen consultation has been suspended as a precaution, "Repsol's explorations should be suspended with greater caution until the Constitutional Court makes a firm pronouncement on the consultation process."
