The Arrecife City Council has responded to the accusations made by the president of the Insular Federation of Latin Sail Barquillos of Lanzarote, Juan Pérez, who announced the suspension of regattas and sporting events, claiming that the entity does not receive financial support from the City Council.
The Department of Sports, led by Eli Merino (PP), has flatly denied these claims, recalling that the Federation did benefit from a nominated subsidy of 25,000 euros charged to the 2023 budget, approved in the previous term. The aid was intended for the project "Latin Sail Barquillos", and was fully paid under the current municipal government.
However, when justifying the expenses, the Federation presented invoices with serious defects, transfers made to accounts other than those listed on the receipts, and even documentation with identities that did not match the issuing companies. After several requests for correction between February and June 2024, the Municipal Intervention issued an unfavorable report in October, pointing out irregularities in the justification.
On September 2, 2025, the Councilor for Sports signed a 25-page decree detailing all the incidents and demanding that the Federation reimburse 18,596.87 euros, as these expenses could not be accredited. Only 6,403.13 euros of the subsidy are considered correctly justified.
"It is completely false that this Federation has not received financial support. What happens is that they have not legally justified the subsidy granted, and the regulations require the reimbursement of the funds," the City Council emphasizes.
The City Council adds that, as the justification for the 2023 aid is still pending, the entity could not access new subsidies in 2024, in accordance with current legislation. In addition, it emphasizes that the Federation ignored the deadline granted by the Intervention to present allegations or clarifications, which consolidated the opening of the return file.
The Department of Sports insists that the responsibility for preparing and submitting the correct documentation lies exclusively with the beneficiary entity, and not with the City Council. "The Barquillos Federation should not pretend that certain expenses and invoices are validated, with appearances different from the real ones, after the analysis of the justification," the decree warns.
Finally, the City Council recalls that the Canary Islands Court of Auditors has reiterated in its reports that all public subsidies must be duly justified, and that, if the expenses are not accredited, the beneficiaries are obliged to return the aid to the Administration that granted them.
