AAVV TITERROY. The death of Candelaria Díaz, a resident of the Titerroy neighbourhood who lost her son in the collapse of a house at number 40 Timbayba Street in 2009, highlights a harsh reality: the residents of Titerroy are dying without justice, without compensation, and without the ability to return to their homes.
Sixteen years have passed since that tragic day on 28 July 2009, and in the meantime, the Arrecife City Council and the Government of the Canary Islands have shown historical irresponsibility, turning a blind eye and condemning dozens of families to abandonment.
Unfulfilled Promises and Wasted Resources
There were agreements in 2011 and 2015, state funds transferred, and solemn promises of housing replacement. Everything ended up as mere images and headlines. Nothing was executed.
Candelaria, like others, died waiting to return to her home. Her hope was never realised. Many have departed without seeing the fulfilment of their basic right to a decent home, a right that the institutions have failed to guarantee.
Institutional Disregard
For over a decade, the elderly residents of this neighbourhood have endured forced evictions, endless bureaucratic processes, deception, and institutional treatment that amounts to absolute contempt.
Meanwhile, some of the affected homes have indeed been rehabilitated and sold to third parties, with permits granted by the City Council itself.
Where was justice for the original residents then?
Who oversees these decisions?
Blocked Funds and Missed Deadlines
On 14 March 2023, the Arrecife City Council accepted a grant of €349,877.56 for the rehabilitation of homes. The law stipulates an execution timeframe of two years, extendable to four.
As of today, there has been no award, no works, no published project. If an extension has not been requested, the City Council is already breaching the law and jeopardising a vital public investment.
Complicit Silence
The only firm voice was that of the then Advocate of the People, Jerónimo Saavedra, who in 2018 denounced the “obstructionist and hindering” attitude of the mayoralty. Since then, neither the Advocate of the People nor the Government of the Canary Islands has lifted a finger.
The current Housing Councillor, Pablo Rodríguez, has been on Lanzarote but has never come to listen to the families. He prefers to hide behind the funds transferred to the City Council, as if sending money means everything is resolved.
A Clear Demand
From the Titerroy Neighbourhood Association, we denounce that this neighbourhood has been a victim of premeditated and shameful abandonment.
We demand that the hopes and lives of our elderly residents cease to be treated as mere political slogans.
We insist that the rebuilding of homes stops being an electoral slogan and becomes an immediate reality.
“Justice may be slow, but it will come. And the residents of Titerroy will not stop raising our voices until this injustice is rectified.”
On behalf of the Titerroy Neighbourhood Association, we wish to extend our deepest condolences and solidarity to the family of Candelaria Díaz during this painful time.
Candelaria was not only an exemplary resident but also a symbol of the resilience and hope of this neighbourhood. Her passing deeply hurts us as she leaves without having seen her right fulfilled: to return home.
We are committed to keeping her memory and struggle alive, and we will not rest until justice is achieved for all families in Titerroy.
