"The lady did not want to go to Social Services at the time and I, as mayor, nor the councilor of that area, can grant any type of aid or anything if we do not take that first step of care in social services," said the mayor of Arrecife, Eva de Anta, in relation to Gabriela, the woman who has been camping in front of the capital's Consistory since Monday, asking for help in the face of an eviction order she has for June 2. According to the mayor, the woman argued that she had not gone to Social Services because "they had not treated her properly."
"She may not like how we public officials do things, but what is not admissible is that she refuses to go to Social Services when there are staff who assist daily people who give the best of themselves and cases that people are unaware of," De Anta said in statements to Radio Lanzarote-Onda Cero. "We have stopped evictions, we have obtained other homes and always mediating through Social Services," she stressed.
"The Councilor for Social Services and I went down to worry, at least to ask what had happened, what the situation had been, and we also tried to put help on the table, which was to know or to mediate on what had happened with that eviction launch," she explained, assuring that they have "several difficulties in this case." "Not only Gabriela's, which I understand, but we have more cases in Social Services and in some we have been able to mediate or stop the eviction due to certain circumstances with social reports and even mediating with the bank," said the municipal official.
"It would never occur to me to restrict the legitimate right of a citizen to demonstrate"
Regarding Gabriela's eviction from the Town Hall premises on Monday afternoon, Eva de Anta assured that "the Arrecife Town Hall, like any public administration, acts within the framework of its powers and with the regulated procedures that correspond to each moment." "It would never occur to me to restrict the legitimate right of a citizen to demonstrate, but if the rule protects me so that there is no camping on municipal premises, we will make use of the rule so that it does not occur," said the mayor of the capital of Lanzarote, also alluding to the fact that political officials have "a responsibility and an obligation."
Eva de Anta has explained the powers that the Consistory has in this matter, pointing out that "the most serious cases have been raised to the Government of the Canary Islands and it is this, through the Ministry of Social Services, that awards those homes that are either owned by the Government of the Canary Islands or those that have been negotiated with banks, but what we do is provide that assessment because they are families from our municipality that we know."
"I wish I had the power to at least find a middle ground and have a housing stock to offer, but the problem is that it links that private right of the owner who wants to put the rent with the right to decent housing." "I would love to be able to manage from Social Services or at least in coordination with the Cabildo or the Government of the Canary Islands, which also has powers, the Government of the Canary Islands," the mayor pointed out.
"I understand Gabriela's situation and that of many who come to Social Services, but the Town Hall always tries to act and must act from the legality of the established procedures and more so when yesterday we worried to know if we could mediate or try to see how we could do with the eviction launch." "What we cannot do is skip the rules," concluded the mayor of Arrecife.