A fire in some containers left 35 homes in San Bartolomé without connection. The Mayor of Tinajo, Jesús Machín, managed the repair in two days after the local council's inaction.
The Mayor of Tinajo, Jesús Machín, had to intervene to solve a problem of lack of fibre optic in the municipality of San Bartolomé, after a fire in some containers left around 35 homes without connection. The blaze, which occurred on June 19 on Jóceca Street, affected a Telefónica pole and a fibre optic distribution box, leaving residents of the El Lajar neighbourhood cut off for weeks.
The councillor of Coalición Canaria (CC) in San Bartolomé, David Rocío, has harshly criticised the management of the council, governed by the PSOE, for not providing a solution to those affected. According to what he recounted in a public intervention, residents contacted the council for help, but the response was that the council was "not responsible" for the burning of the containers and that "even less" was it dedicated to installing cabling.
Faced with the lack of response, Rocío decided to turn to the Mayor of Tinajo, Jesús Machín, to ask him how he would act if a similar problem occurred in his municipality. The reaction was immediate: Machín contacted the Telefónica delegate in the Canary Islands and, in just 15 minutes, an expert arrived in the area to assess the damage.
"Two days later, 48 hours, they had put in this cabling and the new box provisionally until the new pole is installed," stated David Rocío, who highlighted that the solution allowed for the temporary restoration of fibre optic service for the affected residents. The intervention of the Mayor of Tinajo contrasts with the passivity that, according to the councillor, was shown by the socialist government of San Bartolomé.
Rocío made an ironic remark about what he termed the "ironic management" of the Socialist Party in San Bartolomé: "They say they do not deal with putting in cables, but neither do they attend to the residents." The CC councillor used the episode to launch a strong criticism of the governing group, pointing out that "a provisional solution, but a solution, which the Mayor of Tinajo has found for the El Lajar neighbourhood, or part of the El Lajar neighbourhood."
The fire, which occurred in the early hours of June 19, burned several rubbish containers and spread to the telecommunications infrastructure, leaving residents of the area without internet and phone service. Residents had been without connection for over a month, affecting both their daily lives and potential teleworking or studies.
The swift management of Jesús Machín has been highlighted by CC as an example of efficiency and closeness to citizens, in contrast to the actions of the San Bartolomé council. The nationalist group has urged the socialist government to improve its response capacity in the face of such incidents.
For its part, the San Bartolomé council has not officially commented on the criticisms. The provisional solution, which includes aerial cabling and a new distribution box, allows residents to have service while a new permanent pole is installed. Telefónica is expected to complete the permanent repair in the coming weeks.
This case highlights the importance of coordination between administrations and the need for councils to act swiftly to resolve issues that directly affect the quality of life of citizens. The intervention of the Mayor of Tinajo has been positively valued by the residents, who have finally regained an essential service.
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