The mayor of Teguise, Oswaldo Betancort, acknowledges that he has experienced the Famara festivities with "concern" and, although he highlights that the security plan has worked and no significant incidents have been recorded, he has also "committed" to giving "a twist" to the organization of future editions, should he continue to lead the City Council.
Betancort acknowledges that residents of La Caleta have also conveyed their complaints to him, due to overcrowding and the "lack of control" of some of the attendees. "The people of La Caleta want popular festivities full of acts with devotion, tradition, and idiosyncrasy... That is why the commitment I make is to give the festivities a twist and cut back on other types of events," the mayor stated on Radio Lanzarote-Onda Cero.
Specifically, Betancort has referred to the possibility of eliminating the "alternative parties," promoted in recent years, which take place in parallel in the town for a younger audience. Furthermore, he does not rule out eliminating one of the night festivals, leaving only the one on Friday, and on Saturday night, for example, organizing a traditional Canarian music gathering.
"That is a commitment we could make with the festival committee itself," the mayor announced, stating that he will have a meeting to begin studying the issue with the residents who form that committee.
Additionally, he has even suggested the possibility of moving the central area of the festivities, which has also been questioned for some time due to the security problems it may pose. "We need to rethink the pier. There are two or three places that may be suitable for holding the festivities," the mayor stated.
"I ordered the water festival to be stopped"
Regarding the development of the festivities over the weekend, the mayor explained that on Sunday they decided to intervene to avoid incidents. "I ordered the water festival to be stopped," Betancort acknowledged, explaining that the procession had just finished and there were "elderly people and children around," so they feared that some problem would occur coinciding with the start of the water festival.
"I held an emergency meeting," the mayor stated, who decided to delay the start of that event by half an hour "so that people could evacuate the area." Fortunately, after that delay, the party took place without incidents. "We said that in the event of any incident, it would be cut off immediately, but it was experienced very calmly," the mayor highlighted, who insists that the security plan they had been "working on for about three months" worked "perfectly."
Regarding the controversy opened on the entire island, divided on whether or not to allow the presence of minors under 16 years of age at the night festivals, the mayor assures that in Famara no problems were generated by this issue, and that the decision to authorize their entry accompanied by an adult worked without incidents. Furthermore, he has emphasized that the cases of alcohol poisoning that were recorded were not precisely of minors, "but of adults."
"You can die of success"
According to Betancort, the main problem that is being generated with these La Caleta festivities is the number of people they attract, as they have become "an island meeting point" and even for people from outside the island. "On Friday and Saturday there were people from Ávila, Teruel, Gran Canaria... from all over," he emphasized, pointing out that "you can die of success."
Regarding the role of the Councilor for Festivities, Daniel Morales, who this Sunday published a few lines on his Facebook account as a farewell, the mayor has ruled out that he will leave his position and has attributed that message to the proximity of the end of the legislature, the "media pressure," and the characteristics of the municipality, "the largest in population dispersion in the Canary Islands," where "you finish one party and the next is already starting."
"I recognize the work he has done," Betancort stated in reference to the role that the councilor has played. Shortly after, Morales himself confirmed on Radio Lanzarote-Onda Cero that he will finish this legislature in the City Council but does not intend to repeat in the position or run in the next elections.