“I challenge Benjamín Perdomo to produce the document stating that Ángel Vázquez has increased his salary by €25,000; it is false.”
“I hold three positions and get paid for one, while my allowances are also for just one. I am saving money for the Tourist Centres.”
“When Benjamín was in the Centres, the staff were very professional, but now that I’m in charge, they are all deemed incompetent.”
“The technicians are very upset, saying you can’t lie while knowing you are lying; they are not politicians.”
“At the Centres, the strategy is defined by the PP, and if you see any irregularities, there’s the judicial route.”
“When Manuela Armas was at the Cabildo, they were paid €600 for each Government Council meeting, with around eight or seven meetings a month. Imagine that… I earn €600 for the entire month, whether I have ten meetings or just one.”
“Benjamín Perdomo doesn’t tell lies; that’s why his nose reaches from Puerto del Carmen to Yaiza.” This was how Ángel Vázquez, the Chief Executive of the Centres for Art, Culture, and Tourism of the Lanzarote Cabildo, began his interview on Crónicas Radio this Thursday when questioned about accusations from the Socialist councillor in relation to the two controversies surrounding him: the infamous trip to Texas and the criticism from the Socialists regarding a potential €25,000 salary increase over a year. In a pause during the usual Thursday discussion on the well-known programme “A buena hora”, he responded assertively, claiming that Perdomo lies, and that if he believes any irregularities have occurred, he should take it to court. He highlighted that the allowances he receives were approved by the Board of Directors with the favourable vote of Perdomo himself.
– Benjamín Perdomo, who is currently listening to the radio, claims that you are lying when trying to justify everything the PSOE believes you are doing wrong, especially in terms of wasting public money at the Centres…
– He doesn’t tell lies; that’s why his nose reaches from Puerto del Carmen to Yaiza.
– Would you like to have a face-to-face debate with Benjamín Perdomo on this programme?
– I do not engage in debates with liars. I deal with serious people.
– This Wednesday, Benjamín Perdomo stated that the trip to Texas was a frivolous jaunt of four colleagues with a brutal waste of public money, notably mentioning Oswaldo Betancort, José Valle, Marcos Cohen, and yourself. What are your thoughts?
– That’s what he usually does. What I say is that we organised a tourism promotion for the South American market to open avenues for Lanzarote products in Texas. While we were there, people from Texas, descendants of Lanzarote residents, were moved to tears when tasting the ‘papas arrugadas’ (wrinkled potatoes) and expressed gratitude that someone was finally caring about them and providing those products. We negotiated with the best supermarkets in the US to introduce these products, and there’s already a preliminary agreement on how to ship them. It’s a market of interest to us, and if Benjamín criticises it, he may do so, but everything has been done correctly and by the book. This is what work looks like.
– The trip was financed by the Tourist Centres.
– Yes, we created a mini Saborea (Taste) event through the Centres to promote Lanzarote’s cuisine there.
– The PSOE has claimed it was a tender without publicity, effectively awarded by favour.
– No. When you work outside Spain, there are certain legal and fiscal matters to consider, so we hired an agency to manage these, and then a contract was signed with that agency.
– So, why does the PSOE assert that the contract was illegitimate due to lack of publicity?
– The PSOE can say what they like. They should check the records as it is published, and if they have any concerns, they should take it to court.
– You seem angry.
– Yes, because the lies, nonsense, and bad spirit surrounding this issue are infuriating. You can criticise something you dislike, but you shouldn’t lie. Lying and causing harm, especially to many competent people, is not right. When Benjamín was in the Centres, the staff were very professional; now that he’s dealing with me, they are considered incompetent. The technicians are very angry, saying you can’t lie while being fully aware that you are lying, and I have to defend them. It’s quite upsetting.
– Did Benjamín not travel when you were governing with them?
– Of course.
– Was public money being spent?
– Certainly. The trips are justified. What may not be to your liking is our intention to open the market in the United States. He aimed to open the Russian market and stated that Russian tourists should come here a thousand times. Everyone can define their strategy as they please and, at the Centres, the strategy is defined by the PP. If any irregularities occur, there’s the judicial route.
– The other controversy surrounds the alleged €25,000 salary increase claimed by the PSOE.
– I challenge the PSOE to present the document.
– The fact is, Benjamín Perdomo suggested that “if that were the case”.
– A councillor cannot increase their own salary. Increases occur in the first plenary session of the Cabildo Corporation. Incidentally, I have always received the same salary I got at the Cabildo when others were raising their salaries upon arriving at the Centres, and the documentation supports this.
– As Chief Executive, do you earn the same as a councillor of the Cabildo?
– Yes, absolutely. This has always been the case. Others increased their salaries when they joined the Centres, and the meeting minutes substantiate that. I stress that all salaries are established legally in the first plenary session based on a scale related to population size, and this is presented to the Board of Directors of the Centres. This suggests there’s been ill will concerning this matter. I challenge Benjamín Perdomo to produce the document indicating that Ángel Vázquez has increased his salary by €25,000. If he does not have it, he is lying.
– He claims that if it’s not a salary increase, they are allowances.
– Exactly, the same allowances he can claim for travel and attending Board meetings, which he also approved at the Board.
– Did Benjamín Perdomo receive that amount?
– No, he gets the same allowances I do, and if I travel more than he does, I will receive more.
– How are these allowances determined?
– As determined by the Cabildo, €120 for domestic travel and €200 for international trips.
– Has it ever reached €25,000 in a year?
– Yes. I might make over 20 trips a year at €1,000 per trip.
– How do you arrive at €1,000 per trip?
– It depends on the length of the trip.
– Who decides that?
– I decide on the trips. The funds are approved and allocated by the Board of Directors, in which Benjamín Perdomo voted in favour. Thus, I urge him to justify what he claims.
– Your administration has been in place for two years. Were there no allowances in the first year?
– No, they were approved later. Transparency records the income for each year. In 2023, I have a reduced amount as we began governing mid-year. The allowances were approved in the second year. There were no allowances in the first year.
– Interestingly, those sitting on the Board of Directors, including trade unions, have not made any comments.
– On the contrary, they supported it. The salaries were approved in the Board of Directors, and Benjamín Perdomo voted in favour.
– There are island directors at the Cabildo earning €100,000 per year.
– And more besides.
– It cannot be right that you, leading the Board of Directors of a public company, which carries significant responsibility, earn the same as Cabildo councillors with much less responsibility.
– I am the President of the Board of Directors; I was previously Loli. I am the Chief Executive, Benjamín was before me, and I am also the manager. I hold three positions and am only paid for one, while my allowances are for just one. I am saving money for the Tourist Centres. Tomorrow I might appoint a manager, which would incur a further salary. When Manuela Armas was at the Cabildo, they were paid €600 for every Government Council meeting, with around eight or seven each month. I earn €600 for the entire month, regardless of whether I have ten meetings or just one.
