Miguel Andújar: “They are considering whether Tran Tran can go ahead in the next two months”

“As far as the Town Council is concerned, the festival has not yet officially been cancelled.” Miguel Andújar made the statement as he revealed that both the Culture department and the mayor’s office are still considering whether to organise the event before the end of 2026.

The councillor’s comments came after Equipo Chanita announced on 6 October that this year’s edition had been cancelled. The association, which plays an essential role in organising the event, said at the time that it had tried to keep the festival going until the last moment and expressed its intention to return in 2027.

The municipal government is still considering whether the event can go ahead. “I understand that they are looking into whether it is feasible, or whether it can be held in these next two months,” Andújar said. He acknowledged that organising Tran Tran without volunteers would be difficult, as he considers them fundamental to the event.

“They have done, and continue to do, an outstanding job,” he said of Equipo Chanita’s members, recognising that without their essential work the festival could not go ahead.

Financial difficulties and €120,000 in funding

The challenges facing Tran Tran are not limited to the timetable. Andújar explained that a shortage of staff in the Culture department, whose technician is currently on leave, adds to the financial problems that have affected recent editions.

The councillor said that around €120,000 could be raised through contributions from Tuineje Town Council, Fuerteventura Island Council and the Canary Islands Government.

“There has been money; there is €120,000. Perhaps, for their festival, as they see it, that is not enough,” he explained. He acknowledged, however, that he did not know the detailed costs of previous editions or the organisation’s specific financial requirements.

He also referred to unpaid invoices from the last two festivals, a situation that has contributed to strained financial relations between the organisers and the municipal administration.

Tran Tran has become one of Gran Tarajal’s main cultural events, thanks to its distinctive character, public participation and economic impact.

“We are talking about an international festival that puts the municipality of Tuineje, and specifically the town of Gran Tarajal, on the map,” Andújar said.

The festival’s situation comes amid financial and administrative difficulties for Tuineje Town Council, particularly with regard to unpaid invoices owed to businesses and self-employed workers.

On 21 July, the municipal plenary approved a motion from Coalición Canaria setting out a roadmap to unblock payments to suppliers. The debt was then estimated at close to €5 million.

The motion proposed processing files to recognise credit obligations outside the budget and using the treasury surplus to meet outstanding liabilities.

Mayor David Herrera told La Voz de Fuerteventura at the time that the agreement set a maximum period of three months from the signing of the decree activating the procedure to complete the payments, although this has yet to happen.

Three paving projects worth €1.8 million

In his area of direct responsibility, Works and Services councillor Andújar also announced that the Town Council has three paving projects ready, pending completion of the administrative procedures required for them to proceed.

Two projects are in urban areas and one in a rural area. Each represents an investment of around €600,000 and would improve roads in different parts of the municipality.

“The process is taking longer than I would like,” Andújar acknowledged. He explained that the files were opened some time ago but have required various procedures and amendments.

Despite the delays, the councillor hopes to get all three projects under way before the end of the year. “I hope so, I hope all three go ahead before the end of the year,” he said, without giving a specific start date for the works.

Cemeteries being prepared for All Saints’ Day

Meanwhile, the Works and Services department is preparing the municipal cemeteries for 1 November, All Saints’ Day.

Andújar said workers had spent around two weeks carrying out maintenance and painting ahead of the many people who visit the cemeteries on the day.

“Almost everything is already scheduled and well organised so that the cemeteries are in the best possible condition on 1 November,” he said.

Optimism about re-electing Paloma Hernández as Fuerteventura senator

Turning to politics, Miguel Andújar, secretary of the Tuineje Socialist group, also discussed the general election on 29 November, in which he is serving as campaign coordinator in the municipality.

He is confident that the PSOE will repeat its 2023 victory in Tuineje and retain Fuerteventura’s Senate seat. “There are good prospects for Paloma (Hernández) to win the Senate seat on the island again,” he said.

He is also optimistic about the national picture: “I hope the Socialist Party can make a comeback and govern Spain again,” he concluded.