Canary Islands territorial and demographic inequality

Casimiro Curbelo, spokesperson for the Agrupación Socialista Gomera (ASG), has advocated for measures to address structural inequalities and demographic imbalances within the Canary Islands.

Initially, Curbelo called for reinforced public policies to ensure educational equality for residents of non-capital islands like La Gomera. He noted that administrative and economic concentration in Tenerife and Gran Canaria creates geographic disadvantages, such as increased costs for travel, housing, and maintenance for students. To mitigate this, the Cabildo of La Gomera has allocated budget portions to scholarships and rental assistance.

Subsequently, the focus expanded to the urgent implementation of the Canary Islands’ Demographic Challenge and Territorial Cohesion Strategy. Curbelo emphasized that the plan must move beyond approval to effective execution to combat depopulation and aging populations in regions such as La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro. The proposed strategy involves mobilizing 1,400 million euros for 43 measures and 428 actions, alongside calls for differentiated taxation and improved access to housing, employment, and public services to encourage generational renewal.