The causes for a historic demonstration within the Canary Islands: “I am here out of pride” | Economy | EUROtoday

Tinyumar Vera, 19 years previous. Psychology scholar.

Tinyumar Vera, a resident of the Geneto neighborhood (San Cristóbal de La Laguna), considers herself “lucky” as a result of the place the place she lives is way from vacationer facilities. She assures, nevertheless, that the scenario should change. “We have to start taking control over our islands because we are reaching limits where we are seeing more tourists than residents, their comfort is being prioritized over that of the people who have been living here all their lives.” And she says: “It is important that we begin to control it and stop wanting to destroy our land so that more tourists come, because the islands are small and we have a limit.

Moisés Martín, 59 years old, electrician.

Moisés Martín attended the demonstration with his wife, Charo Pastoriza. He is firmly in favor of the implementation of an eco-tax. “Tourism, yes, but pay a fee,” he says. “I think tourists have to pay, because they create a mark on Canarian society.” He makes use of the present scenario to develop his argument. We want desalination crops for water: what can’t be is that the resort swimming pools are full and within the north of Tenerife there are water restrictions,” he remembers. “In the end, that money will have an impact on themselves, it will ensure that we have a better society for everyone.”

Cristian Hernandez, 18 years previous. Business Management FP scholar.

For Cristian Hernández, attending Saturday's demonstration was a “matter of pride.” “This has been a fight for years. The truth is, the fact that many friends and many family members have had to leave in order to find a better future hurts me a lot,” he says. And he provides the protection of the atmosphere. “In the Canary Islands, a massive destruction of what is a biosphere reserve is taking place. And, honestly, I want my children to enjoy the islands as I am enjoying them and as my parents enjoyed them.”

Kenneth Estévez, 41 years previous, unemployed administrative officer.

With considered one of his youngsters in tow, Kenneth Estévez, a resident of La Orotava [al norte de la isla], is worried concerning the environmental drift of the islands. “When you have children, you want the places where you have been bathing to remain intact,” he explains. “It's nothing against tourists, it's nothing against foreign visitors, but we simply want to preserve what little we have left. Last week there was a spill in La Tejita [en El Médano, al sur de la isla]. But if one wants to go to Anaga [extremo nororiental de Tenerife] He can't go for a walk anymore because he has collapsed, the same as Masca. [oeste]. Perhaps with more resources we can provide more buses, shuttles…

Mercedes Vera, 60 years old. Housekeeper in a hotel

Mercedes Vera is the only one of all the colleagues with whom she has attended the demonstration who dares to show her face. “I come to represent the group because of the precariousness we have in the sector. We are terrible, and we have already said this far. Enough”. Her story is that of an overload of work that causes many housekeepers to have to take sick leave. “Until recently it was physical, but we are already reaching the limits of psychological overload as well. “It's already stress and anxiety and everything because of the workload.” At the end of last year, this group began to demonstrate to protest the situation. “We have held rallies to protest, but everyone turns a deaf ear. And remember that ours is a group without which tourism does not move.”

Leyla Lázaro, 21 years old. Fine Arts Student

Palm tree Leyla Lázaro attended the demonstration accompanied by her buddy Delmira Pérez, from the identical island. “I wasn't planning on coming, but as I listened to my classmates I became convinced. “We are all tourists at some point, so this is not against them,” she says. “The key is how we manage it, and how we avoid the overcrowding that we are suffering.” She is towards the development of extra resort infrastructure. “They don't need more. And, above all, when houses are demolished because they are next to the beach, but then they build a hotel right where the houses have been demolished. It just can't be”.

Antonio Bueno. 55 years. Employed as an employee.

Antonio Bueno's is one of the few Spanish flags that can be seen at the demonstration. “This tourism model goes against the quality of life of all of us who live here, and is not sustainable,” he explains. “It is a model that leads us to endure traffic jams caused by the number of residents, both legal and illegal,” he causes. “What we cannot do is continue to increase the number of people here, whether they are tourists or residents. “We have to stop this somehow.”

Manuel Delgado, 75 years previous. Retired.

Manuel Bueno walks slowly by means of the gang gathered within the Plaza del General Weyler. “There are many of us who are worried about the situation that is occurring with the tourist boom and the destruction it is causing. This business is run by unscrupulous people. There is a situation of exploitation.” And he goes deeper: “In addition to the fact that the economy must be diversified. Because as soon as things go wrong, the business owners pick up the pieces and go somewhere else. He already passed us with the tomato… “.

María Dugarte (18 years old), FP student in Business Administration.

María Dugarte claims not to be against tourism. But she does not believe that it is enough to ensure that Canarian society can live “with dignity.” “I want that in the future I don't have to leave the country because there is no future here. “I want to live here all my life,” she says. “I think this industry is not allowing the economy to develop properly.”

Paula Rodríguez, 26 years previous, store assistant. César Perdigón, 34 years previous, sports activities coordinator.

“In the end it is about defending what we have, not spoiling it further. Paula Rodríguez and César Perdigón have been lucky and thanks to their family network they have found a place to live in the Añaza neighborhood (Santa Cruz de Tenerife). “We continually see how friends or co-workers cannot rent a home or become independent because the salaries they have do not provide them with anything. It's a drama,” they explain. They have also come demanding more protection for the population. “They are cutting off the water in some towns, in some municipalities and then on top of that, they have intentions of creating more tourist spaces, more hotels and without taking care of the main thing…”

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