It's like something out of a Berlanga film, but in a macabre version. Gloria Sánchez, a 56-year-old woman with serious health problems, faces the imminent demolition of her home in Ingenio, Gran Canaria. Despite multiple appeals from her lawyers, a judge has rejected their requests to suspend the demolition of the house, built on rustic land in the La Berlanga neighbourhood. Gloria's defence argues that the house could be legalised by changing its use to an agricultural warehouse and that the new General Urban Development Plan (PGOU) of Ingenio could allow its regularisation. However, the judge, MO, has been inflexible, arguing that the construction is still illegal and that the sentence must be complied with. Nobody disputes that, but rather: let people live in peace, that land is not of special interest to NATO. It is a pyrraca land that the poor woman, if she survives the cancers she suffers from, will hardly be of use for palliative care.
Gloria's situation is particularly delicate due to her health condition. She suffers from several serious illnesses, including cancer and respiratory problems, and her lawyers claim that the stress caused by this legal process is worsening her condition. In addition, the neighbour does not have the financial means to buy a new home. Gloria Sánchez's case has generated an intense debate about the application of the law in cases of illegal construction, especially when it affects people in vulnerable situations. Gloria's lawyers argue that justice must be flexible and take into account the personal circumstances of each case, while the judge has prioritised compliance with the law.
Gloria's story has caused a stir on the island, and many residents are in solidarity with her cause. They consider it unfair that a sick person with no resources should be forced to lose their home. The case has highlighted the need for greater sensitivity on the part of the administration when applying the law. In this regard, Gloria's lawyers have asked that their client's personal situation be taken into account and that a solution be found to save her home. Gloria's fight continues. Her lawyers have filed a new appeal, in which they insist that the judge's decision is unfair and that all the circumstances of the case must be assessed, especially their client's state of health.
Gloria Esther Sánchez's fight to keep her home in the rural area of La Berlanga, Ingenio, continues. Despite her delicate state of health and the arguments presented by her defense, the courts have once again rejected the suspension of the demolition of her house, declared illegal in 2017. The presiding judge of the Criminal Court 2 of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Mónica Oliva, has rejected the latest allegations presented by Sánchez's lawyers, arguing that the construction remains illegal and the sentence must be complied with.
Gloria's home was built on protected rural land, which contravenes urban planning regulations. Although the defense argues that the revision of the General Urban Development Plan (PGOU) of Ingenio could legalize the construction by categorizing the area as a rural settlement, the judge has not accepted this argument. Gloria's lawyers have highlighted the critical state of health of their client, who suffers from several serious illnesses, including cancer and respiratory problems. They argue that the demolition of her home would have a devastating impact on her mental and physical health, and that she lacks the financial means to find a new home.
However, the judge has prioritised compliance with the law and has warned that if the demolition is not carried out within the established period, the benefit of the suspended prison sentence imposed on Gloria for the urban planning crime will be revoked. In response to this decision, Gloria's lawyers have filed a new appeal, arguing that the court ruling is not in accordance with the law and that all the circumstances of the case have not been taken into account.
