Unidos por Lanzarote denounces that Vázquez uses money from the Centers for patron saint festivals in Galicia

Unidos por Lanzarote (UPL) has denounced that the CEO of the Centers of Art, Culture and Tourism, Ángel Vázquez, "intends to collect thousands of euros in fees paid" by this public company of Lanzarote to attend the festivals of his own town in Galicia, O Carballiño.

The spokesperson for Unidos por Lanzarote (UPL), Laureano Álvarez, has called it "a scandal" that public money from the Tourist Centers is allocated to a Galician municipality of barely 16,000 inhabitants, whose promotional impact for Lanzarote he has described as "practically non-existent". "We will all agree that, if Ángel Vázquez had not been born in O Carballiño, the Centers would never have invested a single euro in promoting the festivals of that municipality, with all due respect to its neighbors," they state from Unidos por Lanzarote.

The party has pointed out that it is incomprehensible that while "there are needs for cultural and tourist promotion in the seven municipalities of Lanzarote, the CACT allocate tens of thousands of euros to the festivals of the CEO's hometown". "As promotion for Lanzarote, it seems evident that the return will be minimal," the party added.

According to the data handled by Unidos por Lanzarote, "the Centers of Art, Culture and Tourism will allocate more economic resources to the festivals of O Carballiño than to the patron saint festivals of the different municipalities of Lanzarote, a circumstance they consider inadmissible" and which demonstrates a disregard for the island's priorities.

"Lanzarote needs every euro from the Centers to be invested in strengthening the destination's image in strategic markets or in promoting cultural activity within the island, not in financing events for Ángel Vázquez to show off in his hometown," the party assured.

In this regard, Unidos por Lanzarote has compared the situation with an example: "It would be unthinkable for the A Coruña City Council to allocate public money to participate in the Máguez festivals. No one would understand it. Well, that is exactly what is happening with the CACT and O Carballiño."

Therefore, Unidos por Lanzarote has requested the CEO to make "public the exact data of the total cost of this action". "Internal rumors speak of an investment close to a quarter of a million euros, but citizens have the right to know the exact figure, and the complete file," the party states.

“And we also want to know if Ángel Vázquez intends to charge thousands of euros in allowances from the Centers for attending the festivals of his own town in Galicia. If Ángel Vázquez wants to show off in his town, let him do it with his own money and not with that of all the people of Lanzarote. Citizens deserve transparency and management of the Tourist Centers oriented exclusively to the general interest of Lanzarote," concluded Unidos por Lanzarote.