Fury in Tenerife as cancer patient, 80, forced from home for controversial tourist project

An elderly gentleman who is suffering from cancer, heart disease and is also diabetic has become the latest to be caught up in the controversial Cuna del Alma project, which plans to build over 3,600 tourist beds on one of Tenerife's last undeveloped coastal areas in the south of the island. The Compensation Board overseeing the project has demanded that Jesús V. Galindo, 80, hand over the keys to his property, an old warehouse on the beachfront, to allow construction of the huge resort to continue.

Galindo's son, Juan, has already made it clear that they will not comply and will take the matter to court if necessary. "This issue is taking away what little time my father has left," Juan said, describing the toll the ordeal has taken on his elderly father. The dispute centres on the compensation offered: just €12,688 (£10,975) for a 66-square-metre building by the sea, an amount the family says is insultingly low, especially given that the developer is selling luxury villas in the same area for up to €3 million (£2.6 million).

"They want to pay us less than €300 [£260] per square metre, when the market value of built property in Adeje is well over €2,300 according to official valuations," said Juan.

This has become a long and arduous process for the family. It began in 2021, when Galindo and his wife felt pressured to join the Compensation Board behind the project to avoid a lengthy court battle and forced expropriation. However, at one meeting, the family was informed that because of their small holding, they would not receive a plot in the future development and would instead face administrative expropriation, reported Canarian Weekly.

Shortly after, they received the formal compensation offer. Then, in November 2023, the Cadastre Office officially removed Galindo's ownership from the register, reclassifying the land under the parcels of Cuna del Alma. According to the Adeje Council, Galindo's property fell below the minimum size required to benefit from the redistribution of plots under the urban development plan, which triggered the expropriation.

A report prepared by the council at the request of the regional Ombudsman (Diputación del Común) states that because his share was "very small," he was only entitled to minimal compensation.

The Cuna del Alma project has faced significant criticism since it was announced. The project will transform a beautiful bay at El Puetito into a bougie and bijou resort with 3,602 beds for visitors. The first phase of the development is estimated to be costing around £36 million.

However, critics say it will create a small town and are worried about its ecological impact. Environmental activists and scientists have been campaigning for more than two years to halt the project. A £500,000 fine was issued after an archaeological site was allegedly destroyed, however, the fine was never paid and expired in August 2023, due to a lapse in enforcement.

Earlier this year, over 50,000 people signed a petition calling for the suspension of construction. Last year, the along with another planned hotel development at La Tejita beach in Granadilla de Abona,sparked protests across the archipelago. On April 20, demonstrators took to the streets with slogans including: "We want to be hosts, not slaves" and "Paradise is not built with concrete". This culminated in a 20-day hunger strike, with activists demanding the suspension of both projects.

However, the developer, Segunda Casa Adeje, has an 'eco-manifesto' vowing to protect and restore the area's natural environment. Its website reads: "We believe in a tourism model that applies itself in harmony with its surroundings. Respectful with its environment, sustainable, to be enjoyed by present and future generations.

"We are passionate about Tenerife, its people, its volcanic landscape and amazing contrasts. We will prioritize local products and put its people first, creating around 750 new jobs in the process.

"We will always follow environmental focused planning and protect biodiversity. Integration is part of our DNA. We are aiming at restoring a natural balance, reviving a landscape damaged by humans while applying low-density architecture at the same time."