By ACN
The King stated this Tuesday, on the occasion of the anniversary of his proclamation, that the best of these thirty years of reign "have been the Spanish people." Minutes before the inauguration of the Magma Arte&Congresos Palace, in the south of Tenerife, Don Juan Carlos assured that he will continue "giving war" and that he will work "as long as his body can." Regarding Lanzarote, it is worth noting the progressive arrival of members of the Royal Family and the family of Doña Sofía. The first to be on the island of volcanoes to attend the baptism of her granddaughter was Princess Ana María of Greece.
His Majesty, like Doña Sofía, said he did not feel nostalgia for the passage of years and recalled that on Monday, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, he had the opportunity to express the "feelings, memories and emotions" that this date embodies for him. At this point, he reiterated his "respect, admiration and gratitude" towards the Spanish people, "the true protagonist of the transformation and modernization" achieved by the country on the basis of the "deep spirit of consensus and harmony" that inspires the Constitution "and always counting on the integrating and moderating impulse of the Crown".
Their Majesties arrived at the Magma Arte&Congresos Palace at approximately 12:15 pm, about fifteen minutes later than scheduled. There, they were awaited by the Minister of Culture, Carmen Calvo, the head of the regional government and the vice president, Adán Martín and María del Mar Julios, respectively, as well as the government delegate in the Canary Islands, José Segura, the president of the autonomous Parliament, Gabriel Mato, the regional Minister of Tourism, Manuel Fajardo, the president of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Ricardo Melchior, and the mayor of Adeje, José Miguel Rodríguez, among other authorities.
Next, they approached the dozens of journalists gathered outside the building, where they made brief statements before beginning their visit to the facilities. Meanwhile, in the main hall of the Palace, several hundred guests were waiting - representatives of the business, political and cultural sectors of the Islands - who then moved to the lobby of the building, where a commemorative plaque would be unveiled.
The Kings continued their tour of the center in the company of some media and several politicians and, already in the auditorium, witnessed a recital by Benito Cabrera on the timple, accompanied by the soprano Candelaria Gil and the string quartet ‘Siroco'. Once this had finished, the monarchs approached the musicians, with whom they conversed for a few moments to, finally, move to the lobby of the building.
There, Adán Martín and the monarchs presided over the inauguration of Magma Arte&Congresos before the multitude of guests and proceeded, to conclude, to the unveiling of the plaque. Meanwhile, several groups of people waited outside the building for the opportunity to see Their Majesties, despite the extreme security measures that were in place throughout those hours in the vicinity of the venue and in the accesses to that area of the municipality.
Intervention of Adán Martín
For his part, the president of the Government of the Canary Islands, Adán Martín, stated this Tuesday that democracy has been consolidated in Spain in these thirty years "with Kings who have shown to feel from each and every one of the lands and peoples of Spain equally and who have given an example of sensitivity, knowledge and recognition towards what is the Spanish territory furthest from the continent, the Canary Islands Archipelago".
Martín recalled that "on a day like today, Don Juan Carlos entered the Congress of Deputies as Prince to leave proclaimed King of Spain", so he dedicated his first words to congratulate the Monarch for this thirtieth anniversary.
He also expressed his gratitude, because in these three decades, the Crown "has accompanied us and has contributed with exquisite prudence and extraordinary firmness to what has been the most prosperous and free democratic stage in the recent history of Spain, in which the work in common "has served to preserve, strengthen and improve day by day our peace, harmony and well-being", according to the words of Don Juan Carlos on Monday in Gran Canaria.
Martín maintained that the "complicated effort made thirty years ago to change the course of this ship that is Spain, a successful and precise turn of the helm that has made possible a plural and diverse reality, a modern, cutting-edge country embedded in Europe and in the world" has been worth it. At this point, he thanked Their Majesties again for that "decisive commitment to democracy and freedoms."
Finally, the president of the Government stressed that the Archipelago "does not forget" that, "with the example and acts" of the Kings, it has become clear that Spain "is a unit that is forged every day from respect for the diversity of the peoples that make it up".
