WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE EVENT AT THIS LINK
A complete success. For the first time, the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium held its Canary Islands Day gala during the day; it was always held in the afternoon, and it ended at night, looking lackluster. Juancho Armas Marcelo's speech, representing the award winners, was one of the best in decades. President Fernando Clavijo, with his characteristic conviction, issued a resounding appeal to Canarian society to unite and defend, with one voice, its right to "build the country it can and wants to be." A clear, direct, and necessary message in these times.
Clavijo did not hesitate to defend the "Canarian way of living together" as our most valuable heritage. "We are one people, one voice, capable of uniting to defend our rights and what is just," he declared, making it clear that the challenges we face are not overcome through division, but through unity and dialogue. This maxim has allowed the Canary Islands to overcome difficulties without social divisions, demonstrating that our history is full of collective successes.
Clavijo also recalled the example of solidarity and humanity with which the archipelago is facing the migration crisis, citing the recent tragedy in La Restinga as a painful reminder of the dangers of the Atlantic Route. "We are a people who do not discriminate. A people who are driven by rage and helplessness by seeing girls and women die three meters from the dock. A people who defend the idea that human dignity knows no borders or politics," he emphasized, offering a moving tribute to the work of the Canary Islands.
The institutional event also served to honor the careers of those who have brought the name of the Canary Islands to the world. The three 2025 Canary Islands Awards were presented to Juan Jesús Armas Marcelo, Michelle Alonso, and the Center for Popular Canarian Culture, whom Clavijo praised for their "exemplary performances." The 14 Canary Islands Gold Medals were also presented to prominent figures and organizations such as the Las Palmas Sports Union, the Torrelavega Cultural, Recreation, and Sports Society, and the iconic Mestisay group, among others.
