The Government Group (PP-CC) in the City of Santa Cruz de La Palma has shown its firm support for the decision of the Bishopric of the Diocese of Tenerife to suspend the celebration of the LXIX Bajada de la Virgen de las Nieves in the months planned for 2020 due to the effects of Covid 19, an ecclesiastical communication that has been made in coordination with the municipal institution and the Cabildo palmero.
The local government has reported that “the Bishopric transferred its decision to the mayor and president of the Autonomous Body of the Bajada de la Virgen, Juan José Cabrera, who expressed his agreement with the criteria set forth by the Church, as it fully coincided with the sentiment of the City Council on the advisability of suspending the acts at a time when the fight against the pandemic to save lives is the only priority objective ”.
The City Council of Santa Cruz de La Palma, through the coordinating councilor of the Fiestas Lustrales, Tony Acosta, made the decision months ago, even before it was an obligation, to close the headquarters of the Autonomous Organization of the Bajada de la Virgen 2020, transferring its personnel to municipal tasks, in addition to suspending all the rehearsals of the different traditional events that were planned to take place this summer in honor of the Patron Saint and stopping the open negotiations for the hiring of artists and infrastructure necessary for the events of leisure.
The Government Group has also defended the decision of the Bishopric on the possibility of celebrating the Bajada de la Virgen on an extraordinary date, always with the guarantees of the Health Authorities. In this sense, it is defended that “the Fiestas Lustrales can and should become the most important economic engine for the economy not only of our city but of the entire Island after the pandemic is overcome.” And it is that “when the virus is under control, the economic crisis that our small and medium-sized companies will have to face will unfortunately be of such magnitude, with so many jobs at stake, that it will require a significant impact to get ahead”.
The City Council of Santa Cruz de La Palma has made it clear that the suspension of the Bajada de la Virgen “does not alter the daily work that the government group and municipal workers were carrying out, which they have been facing for the past few weeks, months, even health and economic crisis due to the coronavirus with all possible effort so that no family is left on the road and we can all get out of this serious situation together. ”
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