The Socialist Group in the Arrecife City Council deeply regrets the suspension of the XVI San Ginés Football Tournament, an emblematic event for the city and the oldest in the Canary Islands. The party points out that this cancellation is not a simple logistical setback, but the direct consequence of a management marked by disorganization, lack of foresight and the absence of institutional commitment on the part of the mayor, Yonathan de León, and the Councilor for Sports, Eli Merino.
For the socialists, the San Ginés festivities, "without the football tournament, lose one of their main and most consolidated reference events, an event that, edition after edition, has brought together the fans, has revitalized the city and has projected Arrecife beyond the local sphere. With this lack of political commitment, one of the oldest tournaments in the Canary Islands loses all the recognition and prestige achieved throughout its editions."
"It is clear that what Yonathan de León is really interested in is handing over the organization of events without roots or tradition to newly created production companies, rather than protecting and strengthening a high-quality tournament such as - and has been - the San Ginés Football Tournament," the socialists add.
"This is not a simple stumble. It is a humiliation for Arrecife, for its clubs and for the young people who see these tournaments as a gateway to the future. UD Lanzarote and US Yaiza, who had already planned their pre-season with this key event, are now harmed by the incompetence of the government group," they criticize.
"The damage is done. At this point, any attempt to improvise with local teams to save the day will only accentuate the institutional ridicule. What we need is not more smoke screens or empty declarations, but clear political responsibilities and a reorientation of the priorities of the municipal government."
Roy González, councilor of the Socialist Group, stressed that "the San Ginés tournament has been, for years, an example of tradition, roots and projection for the capital. Its cancellation is yet another sign that the city is being governed without direction, without criteria and without a sense of the city."
The PSOE warns that this situation is not isolated, but part of a worrying drift in which the government group has prioritized recreational and showcase events over structural public policies. "Yonathan de León's management is focused on show business and propaganda, while neglecting essential issues such as grassroots sports, cultural planning with roots or fundamental public services," added González.
"Sport cannot be managed on a whim. Arrecife does not deserve this level of institutional neglect," concludes the socialist councilor, demanding that the mayor and the Councilor for Sports offer public explanations and assume the corresponding political responsibilities.
