The PSOE of Lanzarote has announced that it will demand explanations from the president of the Cabildo, Oswaldo Betancort, for the "apparent institutional sponsorship of the company Cumbre 8 Islas, which has been the beneficiary of several contracts by different island public entities just a few months after its creation".
The councilor of the Socialist Group in the Cabildo, Benjamín Perdomo, has described as "scandalous" the relationship of the government group with this company, constituted in October 2023, and that in a short period of time has received minor contracts for a total amount of 60,054.30 euros granted by the Cabildo of Lanzarote itself, the Centers of Art, Culture and Tourism (CACT) and the Society of Exterior Promotion of Lanzarote (SPEL), before being awarded the millionaire contract of the CACT for more than 3 million euros.
Among the commissions received, "the Cabildo directly contracted Cumbre 8 Islas in 2024 for the elaboration of the "2024 Action Plan" for an amount of 15,515 euros, including IGIC, with a duration of three months. Subsequently, on July 24, 2024, the CACT awarded it another 13,500 euros for the "support services to the organization and configuration of the roadmap" for the Forum "Tourist Economy of the Canary Islands" held that same day in the Islote de la Fermina", point out from the PSOE.
"Only two days later, on July 26, the SPEL hired it for other technical assistance services for the elaboration of the contracting documentation of a tourist awareness campaign. And on November 12, 2024, the CACT returned to the same company for advice on the evaluation of the economic impact of Saborea 2024, for 15,000 additional euros", it continues.
"We are facing a chain of awards that is difficult to understand from the public point of view", says Perdomo. "A newly created company has received contracts for more than 3 million euros", he adds.
The PSOE also recalls that it already publicly denounced "the award, still unexplained, of a contract for 3,077,577.57 euros granted on February 14, 2025 by the CACT to Cumbre 8 Islas for the provision of professional technical assistance services for the elaboration and management of strategic projects. An amount that the socialists consider absolutely exorbitant. Starting a business in this way is a pleasure", he concludes.
