The socialist senator for La Palma, Kilian Sánchez, has urged the Canary Government to sign the agreement for the National Volcanology Centre, endowed with 5 million euros, and has criticised the "debates that isolate us" driven by Coalición Canaria.
The senator from La Palma, Kilian Sánchez, has hit out at the "accusations from Coalición Canaria leaders" who, in his view, "distort the objective" of establishing the National Volcanology Centre (CNV) on the island. In a statement sent by the PSOE, Sánchez was emphatic: "La Palma does not need debates that isolate us. It needs science, resources, and for the Centre to function now."
5 million euros for a strategic project
The senator recalled that the Spanish Government has already committed 5 million euros to launch the CNV as soon as possible. However, he warns that "a debate on competencies" could delay a project he considers "strategic for the island." "What cannot happen is that legal certainty becomes an obstacle," he emphasised.
According to Sánchez, the Ministry of Science sent a draft agreement on 20 March 2026 which removed the "comprehensive management of the volcanic phenomenon" from the consortium's objectives. The reason, he explains, is that this function "would create overlap with state bodies that already have those competencies by law." Three months later, on 30 June, the Canary Government was still insisting on maintaining that function.
Legal certainty against demagoguery
The senator from La Palma has argued that the agreement requires "legal certainty before headlines loaded with demagoguery, which, far from contributing, create a fault line that is precisely what the Island needs least." In this regard, he recalled that "no government, including the Canary one, can use an agreement to change competencies that are set by law."
"The Centre is born to add science, not to duplicate functions. Spain already has bodies with legally assigned volcanic monitoring and civil protection," Sánchez added. For the senator, the goal of the CNV is to "promote research, scientific coordination, and knowledge transfer." "It makes no sense to open competency conflicts that only delay what is important," he remarked.
Unwavering support for the headquarters in La Palma
Kilian Sánchez has reiterated his "unwavering support" for the main headquarters of the centre to be in La Palma. "We have the territory, the scientists, and the experience from Tajogaite," he recalled, referring to the 2021 eruption. Therefore, he has asked the Canary Government to "accept the text agreed upon with all state bodies and sign the agreement now to avoid further delaying the launch of the Centre."
The Tajogaite eruption, which lasted 85 days and devastated hundreds of hectares, highlighted the need for a centre of this kind on the island. For the residents of La Palma, the establishment of the CNV is not just a scientific issue, but also one of safety and future. The centre would allow for better volcanic monitoring and more agile coordination between administrations, something the island lacked during the 2021 crisis.
The next step, according to PSOE sources, is for the Canary Executive to approve the text of the agreement. Sánchez is confident that "political will will prevail" and that the centre can start functioning before the end of 2026.
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