Fuerteventura magazine Interviews
September 2023

Lola García – President of Fuerteventura's Cabildo

“I am convinced that this term will last four years”

Lola García – President of Fuerteventura's Cabildo

We have followed her trajectory in politics for quite a few years and we are pleased to see her progress, becoming the first woman president of Fuerteventura's Cabildo. During the previous term, we interviewed her as the deputy president of the Cabildo and we remembered her, her friendliness and accessibility and this is why we are so glad to congratulate her now on her new position.

Further to your experience of the previous term, do you think that it will be for four years this time?

I am convinced of it. The pact with Blas Acosta and the PSOE is made with confidence, loyalty and respect from both parties. We talk sincerely and we put all subjects on the table until we reach an agreement.

It is also good for the island that its leaders can collaborate, otherwise, everything remains paralysed.

We have just been through four years with three government changes and we can understand why the projects we had, in 2019, are almost all uncompleted. This is why we have the same challenges aswhen we started, in 2019, and the main one is water. We know that it is a very serious problem because it isn't just about the usual breakdowns in the supply network, we are aware that we need to increase the production.

The population has increased...

This is why we already have a plan with the Island's Water Council and with the Water Consortium and we are already at our third Hydrologic Plan for Fuerteventura, which needs to cover the next 20 years, not just the current problems. Our current councillor, Adargoma Hernández, has been at the Consortium for a long time, he is in touch with the employees and knows what is happening and he is totally committed. The new desalination plant in the south of the island is essential to increase the water catchment, with a capacity of 15 000 m3, which is why we need a large plot of land. We have involved the Water Councillor of the Canarian Government, Manuel Miranda, who knows the realities of this island since this is where he comes from, so he can help us with the survey to find a location. This new desalination plant will cost around 30 million Euros. We have had various meetings with all the ayuntamientos and we are pleased to see that they are all in agreement to work together, which we are grateful for.

What are the other immediate projects?

All the priority socio-sanitary infrastructures. The file for the residence in Gran Tarajal is completed, and it was decided to change its location, which will now be El Aceitun. The new model won't be macroresidencies, but microresidencies of 60 spaces maximum. We are waiting for Pájara's Ayuntamiento to choose its plot of land to build another Residence for the Elderly, for another 60 spaces. This way we ensure that elderly people remain as close as possible to their families. We have also started building the Mental Health Residence of Puerto del Rosario. It is close to the therapeutic swimming pool, and we will soon have a call for tenders for it so that everyone can gain access through various associations that deal with people with specific needs, and to ensure it gets used as much as possible. We have also asked the Government Councillor to assign a team of people here to evaluate the Law on Dependency because we are behind. It is essential to complete the Plan for Territory Planning PIOF because we need to define spaces. In 2015, it was almost completed, but it had to be modified and adapted because the laws were changed, in 2017. But now, all the documentation is obsolete and we need to start from the beginning again. We need to plan the implantation of the wind turbines and the renewable energy plan is essential. But we can't talk about clean energy if we destroy our landscapes, which are our heritage and make us different from the others. Taking this plan into account, we will be able to solve most of the island's housing problem.

Indeed, it is now a big problem.

There isn't any land to build houses on and as the ayuntamientos don't have the Plan for the land, they dare not sell any land, in case it doesn't fit in with the PIOF planning.

Are you talking about social housing?

Yes, but there isn't any accommodation either for people who come to live on the island who have a medium to high purchasing power, such as doctors, teachers, business people, etc. Holiday homes have a large part of the responsibility in this problem. I know that the Government has put in place some regulations concerning this type of accommodation, and we will have to see which areas in Fuerteventuraare included, and which aren't, as well as controlling the quality of those houses, which are the image of the island for tourists who come here.

Are there other projects?

We have the waste challenge, we have grown a lot and we need to complete the "All in One" Plant, which Europe is requesting and should have been completed, by June 2023. We see that it still isn't completed and we have been sanctioned. This will be the island's waste and ecology transition plan.

WE LIKE