The Vice President and Tourism Councillor of the Cabildo de Tenerife, Lope Afonso (PP), has confirmed that the corporation remains interested in hosting stages of the Vuelta a España next year, despite the controversy surrounding the potential participation of the team Israel-Tech.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Afonso affirmed that the Cabildo “continues to be interested” in hosting the conclusion of the cycling event due to its “extraordinary sporting dimension” and “significant promotional capacity,” while emphasising that “athletes and cycling fans deserve it.”
Focus on Sports Development
The Vice President explained that the aim is for Tenerife to establish a “reference positioning” in the sports field, without being influenced by “political instrumentalisation.”
In this regard, he noted that meetings will be held with the organisers and the Spanish Cycling Federation to ensure that, should the event take place on the Island, it will be conducted “with all security, organisational, and logistical guarantees” and will project an “appropriate image of the values of sport in Tenerife.”
Afonso also reiterated the Island’s willingness to provide “all its security guarantees” for the 2026 edition, following the cancellation of the final stage’s arrival and award ceremony in Madrid due to protests against the presence of the Israeli team.
Gran Canaria Rejects ‘La Vuelta’ Participation with Israel
In contrast, the President of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, Antonio Morales, announced on Monday that the Island will not host stages of the Vuelta a España if Israel participates. “We are not willing to whitewash genocide or the State of Israel through sport,” he declared at an event organised by the platform Canarias por Palestina.
Morales reminded that, although there were discussions regarding the event’s arrival in Gran Canaria, there is no firm agreement in place. “Nothing is definitive; there is no final agreement,” he stated, insisting that Israeli participation would exclude the Island.
The island president described the government’s and opposition’s stance as a “continuous nonsense” and warned that the political use of this debate undermines the credibility of institutions.
Spain’s Eurovison Stance
In parallel, the Board of Directors of RTVE approved on Tuesday that Spain will withdraw from Eurovision if Israel competes in the festival. This initiative, led by the corporation’s president, José Pablo López, follows similar decisions already made by the Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia, and Iceland.
Spain would become the first country from the Big Five—the main financiers of the European Broadcasting Union—to withdraw, setting a significant precedent in the history of the contest. The final decision will be revealed in December during the EBU’s winter meeting.
