The Gran Canaria Island Council has just approved the expansion of the Sonnenland Urban Park in San Bartolomé de Tirajana, with a public investment of four million euros, fully funded by the island's government. This significant project—200.000 square meters of planned surface area—not only provides a new green lung in the tourist-friendly south of the island, but also encompasses a political interpretation that goes beyond urban planning and green spaces.
The project, managed by the Department of Institutional Cooperation headed by veteran Carmelo Ramírez (Nueva Canarias), is presented as the first serious move in the reconfiguration of the political landscape in southern Gran Canaria. The Island Governing Council also took the opportunity to introduce modifications to seven other minor investments (€127.948), the perfect cover to camouflage the key piece in the chess game.
Because while citizens see banks, grass, and sports fields, in the offices they see territorial power. Nueva Canarias is taking the lead in San Bartolomé de Tirajana, a strategic municipality that still lacks political stability after years of motions, divided blocs, and volatile mayoralties. In contrast, Primero Canarias (Prica), an emerging project with island aspirations, is seeking political support in the south, trying to garner municipal support in no-man's-land. But for now, the picture is unequivocal: Carmelo is ahead.
And he does it in classic style: direct investment, a party brand, and visible projects. No roundtable discussions or vague promises. Four million in public works, and let the concrete do the talking.
The park's expansion is undoubtedly good news for residents. But don't be fooled: it's also a surgical operation for political positioning. In a tourist-oriented south where institutional trust is at a low ebb, whoever manages to inaugurate useful projects and put up a sign before the photo opportunity is already halfway to the polls. The rest, as always, are trees. Or rather: excuses to plant a flag.