This Sunday dawned in Restinga with the resumption of the intense search for the occupants of the cayuco which sank early Saturday morning about six kilometers from the island of El Hierro, in what is already the most serious tragedy on the road migration from the Canary Islands.
The municipalities of the island join forces and meet since this Sunday morning with the Minister of Social Protection of the Government of the Canary Islands, Candelaria Delgado, as well as the Minister of Territorial Policy, Territorial Cohesion and Water, also in charge of emergencies, Manuel Miranda, to assess the situation and the way in which the different public administrations can collaborate.
Delgado insisted that he arrives in El Hierro on the orders of the president of the Canary Islands government, Fernando Clavijo, who “regrets what happened as a humanitarian disgrace” and demands that the Spanish government and the Union European Union implement the necessary measures for the transfer of unaccompanied migrant minors not only to other autonomous communities, but also to the rest of European territory.
Delgado explained that the minors who were among the 27 survivors are in a shelter under the supervision of the ministry and that the Canarian Police will currently collect them to carry out their identification, as established in the state framework protocol.
The advisor reported this Sunday morning that the Civil Guard was considering establishing a cold tent on the dock to shelter the bodies that could be located of the missing migrants, emphasizing that this could not be done this Saturday because a boat of size was needed considerable. for transport. However, the Civil Guard does not see clearly that it can be installed this Sunday due to the dynamics followed by the currents and the appearance of the nine bodies.
Delgado also clarified that an autopsy assistant will be transferred to El Hierro to help with this entire process and that progress is being made in the necessary authorizations to bury the nine deceased rescued from the sea.
Asked by this newspaper about the possible suspension of recreational diving activities in the area closest to the La Restinga pier, the councilor clarified that this is the responsibility of the town halls and the Cabildo and not of the Government of the Canary Islands.
The mayor of La Frontera, Pablo Rodríguez Cejas, expressed his solidarity and offered the municipal funeral home so that the new autopsies could be carried out.
The mayor of Valverde, Carlos Brito, emphasized that they had help from the Canarian Federation of Municipalities (Fecam) to pay for the burials, but he recalled that they had already affirmed on several occasions that they did not have no infrastructure needed to house “so many corpses”.
Solidarity between municipalities will continue in the following days, with the call for a minute of silence during the three funerals planned in Valverde and three others in El Pinar. The minute of silence aims to underline that this type of tragedy should not be foreign to us at the doors of our homes.
Juan Miguel Padrón, Mayor of El Pinar, also showed his solidarity and took the opportunity to request funds from the Government of the Canary Islands to expand the municipal cemetery, remembering the experience of welcoming this town and to be able to say goodbye to migrants in this cemetery and “for what can happen from now on” after this immigration tragedy.
Asked by this newspaper what communication they are trying to establish with the towns of origin so that relatives do not have to know this news halfway through the media, there is still no clear answer, it is this is why this newspaper will insist to a government delegation. and the NGOs Cruz Roja and Caminando Frontera, still present on the coast.
