Lanzarote’s PSOE Reminds That Gladys Acuña Is Directly Responsible in This Area, Urging Her Immediate Resignation
The Socialist Group in the Cabildo of Lanzarote has demanded immediate political accountability after the island institution distributed “castor seeds by mistake, believing them to be beans, despite being a substance highly toxic to human consumption.”
The PSOE emphasises that castor contains ricin, one of the most dangerous natural toxins known. Ingesting just a few seeds can lead to vomiting, bloody diarrhoea, severe abdominal pain, dehydration, multiple organ failure, and even death within 36 to 72 hours. “There is no antidote, and treatment is limited to supportive medical measures, rendering this error an extremely serious public health issue.”
Socialist councillor Benjamín Perdomo remarked that this incident represents “an act of gross negligence that jeopardises public health and cannot be dismissed as a mere administrative error.”
The PSOE reported that once the error was identified, the Agricultural Farm began sending text messages to farmers requesting the immediate return of the seeds for destruction. “This demonstrates that the institution was aware of the seriousness of the incident and the risks involved; however, the Cabildo has failed to inform the public about this grave matter through an official statement assuring maximum transparency and guaranteeing public safety,” Perdomo pointed out.
In this context, the Socialist Group will officially inquire at the next plenary meeting about how many farmers received these seeds, how many batches were distributed, and how many have already been recovered and destroyed, insisting that transparency in this matter is “imperative.”
The PSOE of Lanzarote recalls that the direct person responsible for this area is Gladys Acuña, advisor to the president on agricultural matters, and that she must resign “immediately.”
“President Oswaldo Betancort cannot continue to look the other way. If he wishes to demonstrate a minimum level of institutional responsibility, he must either dismiss his advisor or require her to resign today. Failing to do so would mean taking ownership of this serious error, which calls into question the credibility and integrity of his government,” Perdomo concluded.
