The Popular Party expresses disappointment that Coalición Canaria, PSOE, and Nueva Canarias did not vote in favour of this initiative.
María Jesús Tovar: “Reinterpreting this monument is a way to preserve our collective memory and ensure it is valued as a cultural asset for all.”
The Popular Party of Lanzarote has put forward a proposal for the reinterpretation of the Cruz de la Plaza de Las Palmas monument in Arrecife, aiming to recover this historic symbol and provide it with a new interpretative framework that highlights its cultural, social, and heritage significance.
This was explained by the Vice President during the plenary session on Thursday, as she added this proposal to the motion presented last July. The initiative did not succeed, as it garnered votes from the Popular Party, VOX, and Councillor Armando Santana; abstentions from Coalición Canaria and Nueva Canarias; and opposition from PSOE.
The initiative proposes that the necessary procedures be instigated for the cross to be declared a Cultural Asset of Heritage Interest (BIC), which would ensure its protection and conservation as part of the historical legacy of the island’s capital. Furthermore, this possibility is supported by a legal report from the Cabildo of Lanzarote, which clarified that there is currently no application to reinterpret this monument.
María Jesús Tovar, the Vice President of the Cabildo de Lanzarote and a member of the Popular Party, stated that this initiative “is a means to preserve our collective memory, ensuring that the cross is understood not just in its religious context but as a cultural symbol deeply rooted in the lives of generations of residents of Arrecife.”
Tovar added, “What we seek with this proposal is to provide legal and heritage security to an element that is part of the living history of the city and deserves to be protected as a Cultural Asset of Heritage Interest. Lanzarote cannot afford to lose pieces that define us as a community and contribute to our shared heritage.”
The Popular Party believes that the heritage protection of the cross responds not only to a commitment to the memory and identity of the people of Arrecife but will also help enrich the historical-artistic ensemble of the island, offering future generations the opportunity to understand and appreciate this monument from a cultural perspective.
In this way, the Popular Party reaffirms its defence of the traditions, history, and symbols that are part of the collective heritage of Lanzarote, while promoting a calm and constructive debate concerning the management of the island’s heritage.
“We deeply regret that Coalición Canaria, Nueva Canarias, and PSOE do not heed the demands of the residents of Arrecife, who are asking loudly for this monument, which is undoubtedly part of the religious history of the capital, to be preserved,” concluded Tovar.
