The President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, admitted on Tuesday that the social and economic reconstruction on La Palma when the volcanic eruption ends “is a tremendous challenge”, perhaps one of the most important on the islands in recent decades, and for this reason, he has warned that “the worst is yet to come” because there are many economic and social damages.
In an intervention in the control session of the Plenary of Parliament, he has indicated that it will not “be possible to restore what was lost” given the conditions of the eruption “and the memory is not compensated” with financial aid or housing.
He has pointed out that many affected “want to stay” near the affected areas but it is materially “impossible” to replace houses and farms and for now, although the emergency situation “has not ended”, the institutions are going to make an effort to carry out a first line of aid without taking into account still registered every year, which will exceed 400 million euros. “We are not going to call the palm trees,” he added.
Torres has given as an example the emergency declaration of La Palma that will be approved this Tuesday in the Council of Ministers, a state allocation of 10 million for homes and appliances, the attendance to the EU solidarity funds, the opening of a multidisciplinary office support for victims in Los Llanos de Aridane, the acquisition of almost 300 homes on the island, approval of specific ERTEs for victims and 13 million for training, employment and social services.
He insisted that while the emergency lasts, the main objective is for it to “end without personal injury or loss of human life”, and in that sense, he stressed that “the only positive thing about the eruption is that” many lives have been saved. “.
Torres has detailed that there are almost 1,000 people working on the ground in La Palma and “some do not want to leave” despite the physical and mental exhaustion, so he has valued the “involvement” of all the sectors involved “so that things end with as little pain as possible. “
In addition, he has valued that all administrations “are united” to attend to the emergency and reconstruction, since all “have placed themselves next to the people, who are having a tremendously bad time”, underlining, for example, that “no one slept when flat “and there were always accommodation resources,” if he slept in the car, it is because he wanted to. “
TORRES ENDORSES THE EVACUATION PLAN
Along these lines, he stressed that many affected people moved to the homes of family and friends, which “demonstrates the concept of helping those who need it”, and others did not want to go to the Fuencaliente hotel because they preferred to be near the capital, in the military shelter of ‘El Fuerte’.
Torres has indicated that “there will be errors and failures” but the institutions have “all the will to help” and “take out together” the emergency “as the people of La Palma deserve.”
Likewise, he has defended the execution of the Pevolca to carry out an orderly evacuation on the island and despite the fact that scientific forecasts placed the possible eruption about 300 meters from Cabeza de Vaca.
The deputy of Sí Podemos, María del Río, has pointed out that La Palma is experiencing “very hard moments” derived from the volcanic eruption because many homes and properties have been razed. “There are no words to express the pain and sadness,” he indicated.
In addition, he has valued the work and the “excellent coordination” of all the institutions, “the importance of science”, since “it has marked the way” to make decisions with “security and certainty”, and the volume of aid that already prepare to try to mitigate the effects. “Now, that they arrive as soon as possible and do not fall into oblivion,” he detailed.
Del Río also took advantage of the control session to congratulate RTVC for the “rigorous” and informative work carried out in the journalistic coverage.
NC HIGHLIGHTS THE FEELING OF CANARIETY
Luis Campos, spokesman for NC, has shown his “solidarity and encouragement with the people of La Palma” in the face of the “enormous drama and tragedy” that is being experienced on the island derived from the volcanic eruption.
He has valued the “coordinated and consensual response” of the institutions and “without political colors”, to respond to the needs of those affected, since “what matters now” is the island’s population.
He has said that “only the usual ones have tried to make a profit and 2,000 kilometers”, but they have not succeeded because “they do not know the greatness” of the Canarian people and the “feeling of canariety.” “We are all palm trees these days,” he said.
Campos has pointed out that La Palma needs measures in all areas and there is a “clear commitment” from the regional government that “it is not going to fail the palm trees at any time”.
Nira Fierro, president of the Socialist Group, has highlighted the “exemplary work” of RTVC and the different governments in the face of the “devastating effect” of the eruption because in a tragedy of these characteristics, “they must be up to the task to provide security and guarantees and avoid human harm. “
MAYORS, FUNDAMENTAL IN THE EVACUATION, ACCORDING TO FIERRO
He has highlighted the role of the technological structure of the State at the service of monitoring the volcano and the work of the mayors of El Paso and Los Llanos de Aridane, Sergio Rodríguez and Noelia García, respectively, “fundamental in the evacuation to give tranquility and information to the neighbours”.
However, he has warned that “there is practically everything ahead” on the island, which is why he asks that “coordination and institutional loyalty continue.”
Pablo Rodríguez, president of the Grupo Nacionalista, has commented that the eruption “has once again demonstrated” that the Canaries unite “in the hardest moments” and take “a step forward”, while highlighting the “unbreakable strength” of the palm society. “We are proud,” he detailed.
Thus, he said that “now it is the turn of the administrations” and that “they are at the level of a people that in many cases has lost everything.”
Likewise, he said that “the uncertainty is even worse” because it is not known when to start but reconstruction must begin and aid must arrive “as soon as possible”.
From CC-PNC they have reached out to Torres “to help and seek solutions.” “Do not fail the palm trees, do not fail the canaries,” he said.
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