Former mayors José Juan Santana Quintana and María del Pino Torres have officially returned to Nueva Canarias (NC), in an attempt to revive the nationalist project in San Bartolomé de Tirajana after months of internal turmoil. The exodus of most elected officials toward the new party promoted by Teodoro Sosa and Óscar Hernández, both prominent former NC leaders, had left the party in a critical situation in the municipality.
The mass departure led to the almost complete dismantling of NC's local structure, provoking a profound crisis of identity and representation. In the municipal elections in San Bartolomé de Tirajana, NC had seen significant progress: in 2007 it obtained 2.145 votes (7,3%); in 2011, 2.987 votes (10,4%); in 2015, 4.112 votes (13,8%); in 2019, 3.654 votes (11,6%); and in 2023 it fell to 1.821 votes (5,5%), leaving it without representation. The party, which was a benchmark at various stages, especially in the south of Gran Canaria, now faces the difficult task of rebuilding itself almost from scratch.
The return of Santana and Torres is not only a strategic move, but also a statement of intent: they want to restore Nueva Canarias' lost prominence in one of the island's most dynamic and politically complex municipalities. Both leaders, with extensive experience in local politics, have been enthusiastically received by the party's traditional base.
"We couldn't stand idly by and watch a project that represents San Bartolomé in all its diversity and complexity being dismantled," said a Las Palmas leader of NC, a party that hopes to bring together other long-time members and new supporters who see this as an opportunity for renewal.
The recovery will be arduous, but José Juan Santana and María del Pino Torres seem convinced that there is still room for a renewed New Canary Islands, one that is socially committed and rooted in the municipality's traditional values. The challenge is monumental, but in the politics of southern Gran Canaria, unexpected twists and turns are nothing new.
