The Consular Corps Bets on the Present and Future of La Palma

The Tourism Counselor of the Insular Council of La Palma, Raúl Camacho, met tomorrow with about thirty consuls accredited in the Canary Islands, who were received at the MAB headquarters in Los Llanos de Aridane, during an institutional trip organized to understand the situation on the island "in situ" and, especially, the area affected by the recent volcanic crisis and the ongoing reconstruction processes.

A delay in Binter's connection between Gran Canaria, Tenerife, and La Palma prevented the scheduled meeting with the Counselor of Public Works and Transport of the Government of the Canary Islands, Sebastián Franquis, who was on the island yesterday for a meeting with the mayors of the affected municipalities. However, the consuls later had the opportunity to learn about the projects and work being done on the lava flows in the La Laguna crossing area, attended by engineer Amílcar Cabrera.

The Tourism Counselor, Raúl Camacho, emphasized the importance of the representatives of the Consular Corps in the Canary Islands understanding the situation after the volcanic emergency "because they will be the voice of what La Palma has suffered and what its future is, in addition to their visit allowing them to corroborate and convey to different countries that La Palma remains a safe tourist destination and that we need visitors, as tourism is key as an economic engine in this recovery we are immersed in."

The Consul General of Equatorial Guinea in the Canary Islands and Dean of the Consular Corps of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Emerenciana Mangué Obiang, stated that "although the consequences caused by the volcano are devastating for the Island, we are seeing that there is still life and the inhabitants have a program to restore the municipalities."

The Consul of Finland in the Canary Islands and Dean of the Consular Corps of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Juan Carlos Díaz Lorenzo, pointed out that "the work of the consuls is important, not only to convey a feeling of solidarity, affection, and care towards La Palma and the Palmero people, especially from the Aridane valley, but also because it has represented a significant workload and ongoing attention in assisting our constituents during the volcanic crisis, which occurred following the health emergency of the coronavirus."

During a lunch in the Argual plain with the mayors of Los Llanos de Aridane, Noelia García Leal, and the town and port of Tazacorte, Juan Miguel Rodríguez Acosta, detailed discussions were held about the efforts being made for the reconstruction of the affected area after the end of the eruption, which marked seven months since its start yesterday.

The attending consuls, belonging to the Consular Corps of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, expressed their gratitude for the reception and information received and committed to informing their respective embassies and working together with the Tourism Counselor of the Cabildo of La Palma to promote and support the appeal and safety that the island offers.

The Tourism Counselor of the Insular Council of La Palma, Raúl Camacho, with the deans of the Consular Corps of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife

The consuls who traveled to La Palma toured part of the area affected by the volcano

Photos: provided