The Socialist Party advocates for an island free from authoritarian symbols and calls for a reminder of the Democratic Memory Law, thereby reinforcing its constitutional foundations and the importance of not taking steps backwards.

Success Against the Popular Party’s Motion

Moreover, the Socialist group in the Cabildo of Lanzarote has celebrated the failure of the motion presented by the Popular Party to restore the cross and stone balls of the Francoist monument in Plaza de Las Palmas, located near the Church of San Ginés. The motion was rejected with votes against from the PSOE and abstentions from Coalición Canaria and Óscar Noda.

Response to the Francoist Symbolism

The PSOE believes that the Popular Party’s initiative represents a clear attempt to whitewash symbols associated with Francoism by presenting a neutral treatment of a monument dedicated to the ‘fallen for God and for Spain.’

‘There is no possible reinterpretation or valid excuses: the cross that was removed was part of a Francoist monument and has no place in a full democracy,’ emphasises the spokesperson for the Socialist Group, Ariagona González.

Criticism of Coalición Canaria

Additionally, the Socialist spokesperson has questioned the timidity of Coalición Canaria, which, according to the Socialist Party, ‘prefers to look the other way and not commit to defending democratic values or the memory of those persecuted by the dictatorship.’

Commitment to Democratic Memory

The PSOE of Lanzarote insists that democratic memory is not a reckoning, but rather an act of justice and reparation for the victims of Francoism. The party reiterates that institutions are obliged to ensure that public spaces are free from symbols that represent an exaltation of totalitarianism.