The Cabildo of Lanzarote has approved during the celebration of the second day of the plenary session of the Debate on the State of the Island six proposals for resolution presented by the Podemos group. These are mainly focused on improving the social welfare of the population and on the ecological transition on the Island.
The spokesperson for Podemos in the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Jorge Peñas, based the proposal of these motions on the fact that “our political group understands that, although there are many different paths and journeys to choose, there is one in particular that is very close to reaching the point of no return: climate change”.
In that sense, the councilor pointed out that “currently, the sustainable development goals are unequivocally on everyone's lips, but if we stop to become aware of what and what these goals are for, what they intend, we cannot ignore that the protection of the environment is undoubtedly the basis of these goals”.
The proposals
The proposals of the Podemos group focus on the designation of a place, within the catalog of real estate of the Cabildo, to locate the Insular Supply Market, starting the file of this infrastructure for a new construction, rehabilitation or adaptation.
“From the beginning we have positioned ourselves on the side of local products, which, although of high quality in Lanzarote, are scarce and often difficult to find, becoming almost a product for visitors. When we talk about circular economies and km0, we are talking precisely about the Lanzarote Supply Market”, the councilor pointed out in this regard.
Secondly, Podemos proposes the implementation of a strategic plan called ‘SOWING SEEDS OF THE FUTURE: FOR A CIRCULAR ECONOMY THAT PROTECTS THE LOCAL PRIMARY SECTOR’.
“The objective of this is to solve the urgent need to solve problems as basic as feeding the most needy people at this time. Having demonstrated the fragility of the services sector after the health crisis, we think it is important that Lanzarote and La Graciosa consider stopping reproducing the great mistakes of the past, in which all the eggs were put in the same basket, and start betting on the primary sector, with a plan that includes all the benefits that this entails in multiple economic sectors of the Island”, explained Peñas.
Thirdly, it is proposed to carry out a study to cover needs in terms of public transport in Lanzarote, dealing with schedules, lines, stops, frequency, etc. The proposal includes the creation of a mandatory stop for all lines at the Doctor José Molina Orosa University Hospital, as it is the only one on the Island. Finally, the possibility of providing different stops with green shade is discussed.
In the fourth proposal, it is agreed to take the initiative to buy properties, either new or to be rehabilitated, in order to promote official protection housing, acquire or free up housing for social use.
“The planning in terms of housing in the last decade, let's remember that there have been no official protection homes for 26 years, has been a real disaster. No one hides the fact that in Lanzarote there is a situation of social emergency due to the lack of rental housing at affordable prices for the majority of the population”, argued the councilor.
In fifth place, through this proposal, the Cabildo of Lanzarote is urged to publicly position itself against the intentions of Morocco (or any other country that is interested) to prospect or extract oil in the waters near the Archipelago.
“We have seen this threat arise again in our waters, which are undoubtedly one of our most precious assets because they sustain us in various ways. It is from this water that surrounds us that we supply ourselves to desalinate it and use it as domestic or agricultural. We are in time, not only to position ourselves, but to support a society that has already told us that this is not the path it wants to follow”, said Peñas.
Social attention
Finally, it is proposed to invest in social care systems, initiating proactive actions, taking the initiative to deliver and process the aid that currently exists and those that may arise to the most vulnerable families, promote policies to avoid the ‘inheritance’ of poverty and as well as simplify the procedures for accessing the social and emergency aid system to facilitate access to them.
“This is the future to which we aspire and for which we propose policies such as those we have brought on a day like today, in an environment like ours, fragile but tremendously tenacious, we have the obligation to preserve everything that has been transmitted to us by previous generations”, concluded Peñas.
