The PSOE of Lanzarote has denounced that the "political arrogance" of Jesús Machín and Oswaldo Betencort's government group "is putting at risk" the Plan for the Management of Natural Resources of Los Volcanes Natural Park, a key document to protect one of the island's most valuable natural spaces.
The spokesperson for the Socialist Group in the Cabildo, Ariagona González, has warned that the PORN is born with "enormous legal and environmental weakness by evading an essential issue: the carrying capacity of the protected area."
“Jesús Machín has preferred to approve a weak document rather than listen. He has decided to move forward out of arrogance, ignoring warnings and leaving the PORN in a very delicate situation. If they continue down this path, this document will end up being overturned,” stated González.
The Socialist Group recalls that a PORN must serve to regulate, protect, and establish limits. It must analyze the territory's capacity, the intensity of use, the necessary infrastructure, and the conditions that guarantee the conservation of the natural, landscape, and geological values of Los Volcanes Natural Park.
For Ariagona González, the document approved by Betancort's government "avoids facing the real debate: how much pressure the area can withstand and what measures should be taken to protect it."
“It is uncomfortable for them to talk about carrying capacity because they know perfectly well what it means. It means recognizing that Lanzarote is saturated. It means assuming that our natural spaces cannot continue to withstand increasing pressure without planning, without limits, and without political courage,” said the socialist spokesperson.
The PSOE considers it "especially serious" that the government group has "dismissed" the socialist allegations with arguments that, in the party's opinion, "reveal the lack of criteria with which the document has been processed."
“The protection of Los Volcanes requires rigor, listening, and legal certainty. Jesús Machín has opted to approve the document in a rush, rejecting reasonable warnings and leaving the PORN in a very fragile position,” added González.
The socialists also criticize that the PORN "does not rigorously address the situation of trails, parking lots, and infrastructure related to the use of the natural space." According to the PSOE, "postponing these decisions to the future PRUG means leaving unresolved issues that should already be addressed in this management phase."
“The Volcanoes do not need occurrences. They need planning, clear limits, and respect. A document of this importance cannot be approved by looking the other way at the problems everyone sees,” defended Ariagona González.
The socialist spokesperson also recalled the recent episodes of uncivilized behavior in protected spaces on the island, such as illegal excursions or aggressions to the landscape, and warned that these facts are “a clear sign of the growing pressure that the territory is enduring”.
“Every time saturation is ignored, the protection of Lanzarote is weakened. Every time talking about limits is avoided, our natural heritage is left more exposed. The Cabildo should be leading a brave response and it is doing just the opposite,” she stated.
The PSOE of Lanzarote insists that the island's quality "is not measured only by tourist figures, prices, or number of visitors. It is measured by the conservation of its natural spaces, by the care of the landscape, and by the quality of life of the citizens".
“Lanzarote needs a government that protects its territory, not a government that hides problems under the rug. The arrogance of Jesús Machín may end up causing the PORN of Los Volcanes to be annulled, and the political responsibility will lie with those who have decided to approve it despite all the warnings,” concluded Ariagona González.
The Socialist Group warns that the approval of the PORN under these conditions "opens a scenario of legal uncertainty that may compromise the effective protection of the Los Volcanes Natural Park and force the Cabildo to retrace its own steps".