The Cabildo of Fuerteventura and the Government of the Canary Islands today, 6 September, honoured livestock farmer Vicente Hernández for his fifty years’ service as commissioner for Betancuria. During the traditional coastal livestock gathering of Betancuria, Hernández received a well-deserved tribute from both administrations, as well as from all municipal councils. Cabildo and Government of the Canary Islands celebrate Vicente Hernández’s fifty years as commissioner for Betancuria
Present at the event were the president of the Cabildo, Lola García, the minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fishing, and Food Sovereignty, Narvay Quintero, and the minister for the primary sector of the Island Corporation, Matías Peña. They were accompanied by the mayor of Betancuria, Enrique Cerdeña, the director of Livestock, Andrés Díaz, and the tourism minister of the Government of the Canary Islands, Jessica de León, alongside other island and municipal representatives.
Recognition of Tradition
Through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fishing, the Cabildo of Fuerteventura aimed to recognise the work of Vicente Hernández, who has kept alive an ancestral Majorero tradition. The president of the Cabildo, Lola García, and the minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fishing, Matías Peña, highlighted Hernández’s work as a key figure in a practice of great importance to the primary sector, which also stands as one of the most defining elements of Majorero culture.
Commitment to Heritage
The minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fishing, and Food Sovereignty of the Government of the Canary Islands, Narvay Quintero, along with the general director of Livestock, Andrés Díaz, emphasised the vital role of the commissioner, who has devoted fifty years of his life to safeguarding the island’s livestock heritage and preserving a millennia-old tradition. His commitment has helped keep the coastal Majorero goat, a native breed of enormous value, alive, ensuring the continuity of the livestock gatherings as expressions of identity, community, and respect for the land.
A Lifetime of Dedication
Vicente Hernández Santana, aged 79 and a commissioner for the coastal area of Betancuria since 1975, is a leading figure in this practice. Hernández participated in his first livestock gathering at the age of eleven and has attended every one since. His work has endured over the generations, as he has taught this custom in schools across Fuerteventura.
Along the coast of Betancuria, Vicente oversees the livestock capture in three gambuesas: Llano del Sombrero, la Gambuesa Nueva, and Janey, preserving a tradition that combines livestock management, knowledge of the territory, and community cooperation.
Cabildo and Government of the Canary Islands celebrate Vicente Hernández’s fifty years as commissioner for Betancuria
