I arrived at the Department of Finance and Contracting in 2023 with the greatest energy and, above all, the greatest sense of responsibility one can have in island politics: managing the economy so that it has a positive impact on the benefit of all the residents of Lanzarote and La Graciosa. And that is what I try to do at all times.
In these days when national current events are marked by a succession of scandals surrounding Pedro Sánchez's socialist government, amidst a spiral of corruption, arrests, extortion, misogynistic scandals, and repugnant excesses and abuses, it is comforting to find reasons for hope at the local level. Faced with weariness and a generalized sense of institutional discredit, I am left with the magnificent news for this island that the start of what is known to all as the Cruz Banca Residence, in Altavista, represents. A project that speaks of care, dignity, and commitment to the most vulnerable and which, like so many others in Lanzarote, has been sleeping the sleep of the just for decades until, at last, it emerges from the drawers and begins to move forward.
Those who know me know that I'm not one to elbow my way into the spotlight or to wear medals that aren't mine. I believe in politics as a public service and as an opportunity to leave things better than we found them. I prefer to work as a team, without fanfare, and to be content with the satisfaction that comes from a job well done and the peace of mind that comes from knowing the effort was worthwhile because it will make life easier and better for many people.
One of those occasions was, without a doubt, the launch of the soup kitchen in Arrecife during the last term with Astrid Pérez, and now the recovery of the original and unfinished Cruz Blanca residence which, thanks to funding from the Cabildo and the Diocese of the Canary Islands, will be transformed into a model comprehensive care center. And yes, I will not hide that it excites me to see how, sixteen years after having collaborated in this cause, a project that should never have been forgotten is reborn.
I still remember the mobilizations, the doors we knocked on that didn't open, or the enthusiasm with which we organized that charity bingo, back in 2008, with the hope that the sum of anonymous grains of sand would become a mountain. But it couldn't be, and many of those who threw themselves into that common cause back then are no longer with us.That thorn remained stuck since then, and when architect Martín Martín knocked on the door just a year ago, I knew it was the moment, that life was offering us a second chance to amend a failure, to rekindle that collective dream and finally turn it into reality.And it is here that I want to expressly thank the exceptional human team of the Ministry of Finance and Contracting for their commitment to this project and the personal and professional involvement they have shown in securing the necessary financial funding to carry it out. And believe me when I tell you that it is not at all easy to scrape together 8 million euros for a project that was not included in the budgets.
Without a doubt, that silent bond of "now or never," that silent ultimatum, was key to managing to financially equip the new residence project, to which two million more have finally been added. A total of 10 million euros, from the Cabildo's own funds, will allow the abandoned building in Altavista to be transformed into a modern 7,000-square-meter island center for comprehensive care with a residence for our dependent elderly, a day center, emergency housing, a soup kitchen, and a vocational training center, among other services. If everything goes as planned, the project is expected to be operational by 2028
After sixteen years, four legislatures, and countless socioeconomic changes, this space reminds us that collective dreams do not die, they only sleep until political and social will awakens them.For them. For those who always believed in the project and its necessity.
For people requiring special care and for their families.
Because caring for our elders is not an option but a shared responsibility.
María Jesús Tovar
Vice President and Minister of Finance and Contracting of the Cabildo of Lanzarote
Secretary General of the Popular Party of Lanzarote and La Graciosa
