History is often lost, either by radical elements, as was the Spanish Inquisition at the time, or by recent episodes in our history, such as the Franco dictatorship. However, sometimes this history simply fades away due to a lack of importance or dissemination, and with it we also lose people whose absence makes it difficult to understand the world around us. That is why, in commemoration of his sixty-ninth anniversary, I have decided to rescue Don Casto Martínez González (1897-1956) from this oblivion. He could be the typical example of a movie ghost that appears and disappears at will, but this time he will not do it from the walls, but from the pages of newspapers.
Born in Biscay, Don Casto, as he was known in his time, is someone about whom we unfortunately know little. Like Agustín Espinosa, Guillermo Topham and Agustín de la Hoz, he was one of the great precursors of a revolution that would later take shape with the Manrique-Ramírez duo. This revolution sought to lead a cursed island, according to their own perception, to show its true potential for tourism, through the valorization of its natural spaces and traditions.
In relation to the defense of these principles, Don Casto was one of the precursors of the construction of the Parador de Turismo in Arrecife, the first building on the island for tourist purposes. He also produced several brochures highlighting the unmissable places of Lanzarote, such as the Montañas del Fuego, the Jameos del Agua and El Golfo; ideas that today we can appreciate not only as visionary, but as revolutionary. However, his literary career does not end there, as he was also a poet and playwright. In his works, such as “Gofio de millo” and “Timple conejero,” we can feel a deep love for the land of Conejera and everything related to its folklore.
Sadly, despite all these achievements, this great name for island history was lost in time, succumbing to oblivion. For this reason, I join the protest of Guillermo Topham, Agustín de la Hoz and also one of the sons of Don Casto, Luis Martínez Cabrera, so that at least a minimum posthumous tribute is paid to this good man, who was so advanced for our beloved island of volcanoes. For, as William Shakespeare said in the play Julius Caesar: "The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones."
