The Popular Party expresses disappointment over the lack of support from Coalición Canaria, PSOE, and Nueva Canarias for this initiative
María Jesús Tovar: “Resignifying this monument is a way to preserve our collective memory and ensure it is valued as a cultural asset for all”
The Popular Party of Lanzarote has put forward a proposal for the resignification of the Cruz de la Plaza de Las Palmas monument in Arrecife. The aim is to recover this historic symbol and provide a new interpretative framework that highlights its cultural, social, and heritage significance.
This was explained by the vice president during Thursday’s plenary session, as she added this proposal to the motion presented last July. The initiative did not progress, receiving votes in favour from the Popular Party, VOX, and Councillor Armando Santana; abstentions from Coalición Canaria and Nueva Canarias; and a vote against from the PSOE.
The initiative includes the necessary steps to declare the cross as Bien de Interés Cultural (Cultural Heritage Asset), which would guarantee its protection and preservation as part of the historical legacy of the island’s capital. Furthermore, this possibility is addressed in a legal report from the Cabildo of Lanzarote, clarifying that there is currently no application to resignify the monument.
María Jesús Tovar, vice president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote and member of the Popular Party, stated that this initiative “is a way to preserve our collective memory, ensuring that the cross is understood not only from its religious character but as a cultural symbol deeply rooted in the lives of generations of Recifeños”.
Tovar added, “What we seek with this proposal is to provide legal and heritage security to an element that is part of the living history of the city and deserves to be protected as a Cultural Heritage Asset. Lanzarote cannot afford to lose features that identify us as a people and contribute to our common heritage.”
The Popular Party believes that the heritage protection of the cross not only responds to a commitment to the memory and identity of the Recifeños but will also help enhance the historical and artistic ensemble of the island, offering future generations the opportunity to know and appreciate this monument from a cultural perspective.
In this way, the Popular Party reaffirms its defence of the traditions, history, and symbols that form part of Lanzarote’s collective heritage, whilst promoting a calm and constructive debate around the management of the island’s heritage.
“We deeply regret that Coalición Canaria, Nueva Canarias, and PSOE do not heed the demands of Arrecife’s residents, who are vocally calling for the preservation of this monument, which is undoubtedly part of the capital’s religious history,” Tovar concluded.
