The residents of Fataga held a meeting with the center's director and city council officials to express their complaints and proposals regarding the town's migrant youth center.
The situation in Fataga has become unbearable. Residents have expressed their discontent with the recent disturbances involving minors under the care of the Canary Islands government. One of the incidents that exhausted the population's patience was the recent attack on a resident of the town who tried to mediate in a fight between two minors and ended up with two fractured fingers after being pushed.
At a meeting organized by the Residents' Association, explanations were demanded from the center's director, Tamara Carballo, who has been associated with the facility for four years and in the management position for only one.
Representing the San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council were Dimas de la Cruz (Social Services), José Ruymán Cardoso (Street Cleaning, Beaches and Citizen Participation) and Eduardo Armas (Roads and Works, Parks and Lighting).
During the meeting, residents reported break-ins on neighboring properties, thefts, nighttime noise, and excessive speed by the transport vehicle, which has generated tension with some residents. They also demanded explanations about the center's monitoring protocols, as they report seeing minors wandering around the town outside of established hours.
One of the main concerns of the attendees was the possibility of a repeat a fire like the one that occurred last year in the palm grove of the town, which, according to local residents, is frequently used as a meeting point and “smoking place”.
Carballo explained the center's internal regulations and noted that nighttime educators are responsible for checking in the children at the end of the day. However, this explanation did not convince the residents, who insisted that the monitoring of children is insufficient and that they see children wandering around the town outside of the center's designated hours practically every day.
Several residents also questioned the legality of the property, claiming that it is a "released" facility originally intended for meditation activities and that it lacks the necessary license or capacity to accommodate 36 minors in a rural area like Fataga.
Among the proposals that emerged at the meeting was the creation of a direct communication channel between residents and center officials. However, the majority of those present agreed to draft a statement formally reporting all the incidents to the Canary Islands Government and requesting the transfer of the minors to a center with greater capacity and resources.
