The organizer of the Las Salinas neighborhood festivities, in Arrecife, Carlos Alonso, has denounced the cancellation of this event due to "the City Council's neglect" and the poor condition of the Autindara Neighborhood Association, the space where the rehearsals for the Miss and Mister Las Salinas Gala take place - a show that he also directs -.
Alonso explained to La Voz that "the Society has been abandoned for years, and I have to take care of repairing and cleaning the premises every time these dates approach in order to hold the rehearsals".
The neighborhood festivities were supposed to take place this coming weekend. However, "they will not be able to take place because the City Council has only given me the runaround, and has not offered any support since the summer," he detailed.
The City Council has not offered a response since October
According to the director, the Autindara Neighborhood Association has been "abandoned" since 2013, lacking water or electricity service.
In 2019, the last year in which the festivities were attempted, the Gala rehearsals had to take place between Tinasoria and the Arrecife Civic Center, due to the impossibility of carrying them out in this venue.
Now, in 2022, the organizer criticizes that the same situation is repeated, and comments that since the months of June and July he has tried to contact the Arrecife City Council to be able to carry out the event.
"In August I met with the Councilor for Festivities, Encarna Páez, and in October I sent her a letter which I am still waiting for a response. Similarly, the comptroller of this area and the presidents of the Neighborhood Association have only given me the runaround," says Alonso.
Beyond that, the person in charge of the event has stated that he has learned, through those in charge of the Society, "that the festivities are not going to take place because, supposedly, the people of the neighborhood are not in favor of holding them, and that is a lie."
Lack of funding
But Las Salinas is not only facing the problem of the rehearsal space, but also the lack of funding.
Alonso has pointed out that he does not have the means to carry out the Gala, since "we don't even have a stage": "They have left us forgotten. Other neighborhoods have infrastructures, stages and even funds for prizes and costumes, while in Las Salinas we have to pay for these last two things ourselves."
He has also denounced that "while other areas have between five and ten days of activities, we only have three."
The Gala will take place outside of Arrecife
Faced with this situation, the organizer has reported that he has launched a collection of signatures, which already has the support of almost 300 residents of Las Salinas, "in denunciation of the Arrecife City Council for the cancellation of the festivities and the poor condition of the Autindara Neighborhood Association."
In the same way, they have requested the call to elect a new president for the Neighborhood Association, since, according to Alonso, "the current presidents do not want to know anything about the premises."
Regarding the Miss and Mister Gala, Alonso has advanced that he is not going to "sit idly by": "This event is going to take place, but it will be outside of Arrecife".
