The south doesn't appear in the big headlines at congresses, but it's always there. Sometimes as an absence. Sometimes as a wound. And this time, at the New Canary Islands Congress next weekend, the south of Gran Canaria could cease to be a hidden concern and become an explicit focus.
Although the agenda addresses organization, confederalism, youth, and municipalism, what will really be discussed on the margins of the plenary session will be the new territorial distribution of power, and especially one figure who is making a strong impression in the corridors: Juan Manuel Gabella.
Gabella: discreet, technical, and territorial. He's not a familiar face to the general public, but he's been doing background work within the party for years. Gabella, with experience in social and municipal affairs, has built a profile away from the spotlight, yet is well-connected to the fabric of the south of the island, a key area for the future of NC.
His possible appointment as territorial coordinator for southern Gran Canaria is not yet finalized, but internal sources within the island organization assume his name will be formally or informally proposed in the strategic debates at the congress. His mission, if confirmed, will be clear: to reactivate structures, reconnect with citizens, and give the party a voice again in regions where it has been diluted.
The south, an unfinished business. For several legislative terms, NC has been losing presence in areas such as San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Mogán, and Agüimes, as Primero Canarias (Prica) has dismantled NC there, while local groups and state parties have occupied the space. Santa Lucía is holding on, but it's also showing signs of wear and tear. The party knows this, and that's why the new organizational design includes, for the first time, a regional representative with the capacity to coordinate, listen, and build bridges within the region.
“We need someone who doesn't come with an election clock in hand, but with a medium-term plan,” says one island leader. “Gabella could be that person. He knows the terrain, doesn't generate opposition, and doesn't come in like a paratrooper.”
Congress, starting point
Next weekend's Congress won't just be a meeting to renew positions. It will serve as a compass to determine the direction Nueva Canarias will take after Román Rodríguez's term. And in that compass, the south needs to stop being the margin and start being the coordinate.
The eventual arrival of Juan Manuel Gabella as a leading figure in the south is interpreted as part of that logic. A commitment to rebuilding, rather than showcasing. A commitment to building a following, rather than making headlines.
Everything will depend on what happens between speeches, amendments, and coffee breaks. But if the party wants to have a future in the south, the path begins now. And, if nothing goes wrong, Gabella can begin to forge that path.
