Protests on La Palma: Citizens are demanding living space and environmental protection!

Protests on La Palma: Citizens are demanding living space and environmental protection!

Breña Alta, Spanien - On May 19, 2025, around 600 people demonstrated in Santa Cruz de la Palma to draw attention to the urgent topics of housing shortage and environmental degradation. The protest, which was described as historical, found in the shade of the consequences of the tajogaite volcanic eruption, which changed the island in September 2021. Among the demonstrators were concerned citizens who demanded measures to protect their island territory and asked for a new tourism and development model. The criticism was primarily directed against speculating entrepreneurs and politicians, whose decisions have severely affected life on the island. This unrest grows in view of the current uncertainties in the country, in particular with regard to the outstanding state budget and non-implemented tax benefits for the islanders, such as la-palma24.info reported.

Life on La Palma has not only physically changed due to the natural disaster. Many families continue to live in containers or relatives, since the lack of living space for affected households is a central problem. Despite some progress in the reconstruction, many affected people have not yet been able to return to their self -sufficiency. The infrastructure was restored in some areas, but there are still suspended roads and selective problems with water supply. The habitable areas in zones that were spared by the lava offer people hope, but the psychological stresses through the traumatic experiences of the outbreak remain, as well as lapalma1.net describes.

protests and political reactions

The latest protests are an expression of the increasing dismissal among the population. While the demonstrators have occurred for fundamental changes and the protection of their habitat, the island president Sergio Rodríguez expressed himself rather skeptically about the fears expressed. The next campaign has already been announced for May 23 in El Paso.

In addition to the social tensions, the health service warned of personnel bottlenecks on La Palma. The tense personnel situation in the hospitals is still exacerbated by vacation planning for the summer. Unions criticize the unattractive working conditions and the emigration of specialists, which further endangers the island's health care. In particular, the lack of fair job offers could lead to new nurses La Palma.

serious accidents and security situation

The location on the island is not only shaped by social tensions. A tragic accident on the street LP-201 in Breña Alta recently cost two men (40 and 44 years). A 40-year-old woman was seriously injured and brought to the general hospital of La Palma. The Guardia Civil has initiated an investigation into this incident, and out of respect for the deceased, all public events were canceled on May 18th.