Tenerife mayors to face trial over industrial sewage discharges

The Provincial Court of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has scheduled the oral trial for February 8, 2027, regarding industrial and sewage discharges from the Valle de Güímar Industrial Park. The case involves allegations of continuous environmental crimes and prevarication.

Four individuals are facing trial: current mayors Mari Brito (Candelaria, PSOE) and Luisi Castro (Güímar, PP), along with former mayors José Gumersindo García Trujillo (Candelaria) and José Juan Lemes (Arafo). The investigation centers on the failure to properly control, treat, and regularize the sanitation system, which resulted in untreated industrial and urban wastewater being discharged into the sea.

The judicial calendar includes witness testimonies from February 8 to 11, expert reports, and the interrogation of the four defendants on February 16. The trial proceedings are set to occur shortly before municipal elections. While the PSOE's ethical code generally requires officials to resign upon the opening of an oral trial, specific exceptions may apply to the current mayors.