The Popular Party has denounced "the irresponsibility, political blindness, and electoralism of the president of the Cabildo, Pedro San Ginés", for "flatly" rejecting the possibility offered this Thursday by the president of the company Repsol, Antonio Brufau, for "the logistics base of the surveys to be installed on the island." However, Brufau's offer was for either Lanzarote or Fuerteventura depending on the "institutional support" and he also acknowledged "the availability of the facilities." Both councils sent separate statements rejecting this offer.
For the Popular Party, this rejection by San Ginés is "an absolute political nonsense." "He is depriving the island of a potential investment in a first phase of 53 million euros; a much larger amount than the Government of the Canary Islands has invested from its own resources in Lanzarote during the last five years," the PP stated.
The populars understand that this position of San Ginés "is totally irrational", since they consider that "the time to debate whether oil yes or no has already passed, and we have entered a phase of sitting down and studying what benefits we can and want to obtain for the island."
In its statement, the PP affirms that Coalición Canaria "has not been able to stop" Morocco's explorations, so "there is already a platform north of La Graciosa carrying out surveys." "It is absurd that we freely renounce what could correspond to us for the exploratory work that will be carried out in Spanish waters," he insisted.
"Giving the benefits to Gran Canaria"
For the PP, it is "completely incomprehensible" that the Canary Islands assume "the potential risks of the Moroccan surveys and then give the benefits to Gran Canaria, which will surely have no qualms in welcoming the logistics base and the 53 million euros that will move around this infrastructure with open arms."
The PP considers it a "simplisticity" that the president of the Cabildo assured this Thursday in a press release that "we are not selling ourselves here", in reference to Repsol's offer. He even considers that San Ginés with this statement said "no to the possibility of investments and new job creation opportunities on the island."
"With his simplistic demagoguery he is saying no to the possibility that many electricians, sailors, administrative staff, bridge laborers or security personnel, among others, who are currently unemployed, have a job. He is saying no to companies on the island being able to contract services or supply products during the time that the exploratory surveys last," the PP pointed out. EThese, according to Repsol, will only last "approximately one year."
"In short, he is saying no to the approximately 53 million euros that could stay on the island to provide logistical support to the boats and that, on the contrary, will be used by the citizens and the business fabric of Gran Canaria", he insisted.
"Unilateral decision or the result of consensus?"
"Given the economic damage that this fact entails for Lanzarote", the PP asks "if San Ginés has adopted this decision unilaterally or if it has been the result of consensus with the business sector and with the representatives of the trade union organizations that fight for the reduction of the number of unemployed on our island." The PP, in addition, defends the words of the president of Repsol, who assured that his company had analyzed the business fabric of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura and has verified that "there are companies that can perfectly provide supplies and provide the services required by this type of facilities."
"It is foolish for the president to talk about how our costly international tourist projection is absolutely incompatible with the oil industry when there are multiple examples of countries that successfully combine both activities, such as Brazil, Dubai or Norway, which has strict environmental controls," the PP insisted again.
For this party, "the only thing that is achieved with this new recklessness of Pedro San Ginés is that with the passage of time, and with the benefits of oil, Morocco becomes a first-rate tourist superpower against which it will not even be possible to compete." "It is clear that the president of the Cabildo de Lanzarote prefers not to get off the donkey and continue squandering the money of all citizens in sterile battles instead of sitting down and negotiating how to get the greatest possible benefit for our island, as the neighboring country is doing," the PP said in a statement.