In this month’s ordinary council meeting, Idaira Afonso, the councillor and co-spokesperson for Unidas Se Puede in La Laguna, put forward a proposal that she has formally registered with the Council Secretariat. She believes that the discussion of motions inciting hate messages against specific groups or violating basic rights should not be part of democratic debate.
Legal Report on Political Debate Limits
“We have proposed that La Laguna develop a legal report outlining the limits of political debate and what we consider to be hate crimes, which are being repeatedly invoked in the municipal council since the rise of the far right. This movement aims to target social groups and residents with messages laden with racism and aporophobia,” she explains. Afonso requests that, following this legal information process, the council agree to take to court any speeches that promote a breakdown in community harmony or target specific groups based on origin, socioeconomic status, or gender.
La Laguna as a Pioneer in Inclusivity
Afonso asserts that La Laguna, as a municipality built on coexistence and a model of good practices regarding the care and inclusion of its migrant population—comprising over 92 different nationalities—should lead the way in pursuing and denouncing rhetoric contrary to democracy that can be deemed as hate crimes.
“It goes beyond the use of falsehoods; it directly attacks coexistence and singles out residents based on their origins, aiming for a social explosion that, fortunately, has yet to occur,” she points out. The council hopes that the municipal mayoralty will move forward with this proposal and implement it as soon as possible.
