Cabildo and Government of the Canary Islands Honour Vicente Hernández’s Fifty Years as Betancuria Commissioner
El Cabildo de Fuerteventura and the Government of the Canary Islands have today, September 6, honoured livestock farmer Vicente Hernández for his fifty years as the commissioner of Betancuria. During the traditional coastal livestock roundup of Betancuria, Hernández received a well-deserved tribute from both administrations.
The ceremony was attended by the president of the Cabildo, Lola García, the councillor for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Food Sovereignty, Narvay Quintero, and the councillor for the primary sector of the island corporation, Matías Peña. They were joined by the mayor of Betancuria, Enrique Cerdeña, the director of Livestock, Andrés Díaz, and the councillor for Tourism of the Government of the Canary Islands, Jessica de León, along with other island and municipal representatives.
Thus, the Cabildo of Fuerteventura, through the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries, sought to acknowledge Vicente Hernández’s role in maintaining a majorero ancestral tradition. President Lola García and Councillor Matías Peña highlighted Hernández’s work as a reference for an essential practice in the primary sector that also stands as one of the most distinctive elements of majorero culture.
Meanwhile, the Government of the Canary Islands’ Councillor for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Food Sovereignty, Narvay Quintero, and the general director of Livestock, Andrés Díaz, recognised the commissioner’s dedication, which has spanned fifty years focused on safeguarding the island’s livestock heritage and preserving a millennia-old tradition. His commitment has ensured the survival of the majorero coastal goat, an endemic breed of significant value, while guaranteeing the continuity of roundups as expressions of identity, community, and respect for the land.
Vicente Hernández Santana, aged 79 and commissioner for the coastal area of Betancuria since 1975, is a key figure in this tradition. Hernández participated in his first livestock roundup at the age of just eleven and has not missed a single one since. His work has endured across generations, as he has taught this tradition in schools throughout Fuerteventura.
In the coastal region of Betancuria, Vicente oversees the capture of livestock in three designated areas: Llano del Sombrero, La Gambuesa Nueva, and Janey, thereby preserving a tradition that combines livestock management, knowledge of the land, and community cooperation.
