Canary Coalition quits Antigua government in first major legislative crisis

Nationalists accuse Mayor Matías Peña of “institutional disloyalty”

Canary Coalition Antigua, by agreement in the Local Political Council and ratified by the Local Assembly, has decided to “abandon the municipal government group and renounce the delegated council seats it currently holds.” This marks the first major crisis of the legislature among the island’s political parties, although it would be the second after the resignation of Candelaria Umpiérrez in Tuineje, which did not alter the composition of the governing groups.

“The decision responds to continuous displays of institutional disloyalty, disrespect and public disagreements on fundamental matters for municipal management,” said David Alberto Guerra, spokesperson for CC Antigua, adding that the situation has become unsustainable within the City Council.

The move has prompted the current councilor for Urbanism, Planning, Management, Execution and Urban Discipline, David Alberto Guerra, the municipal health and beaches officer, Lucila Ruiz, and the councilor for Employment, Local Development, the Peace Court and Victoria Cerdeña to submit their resignations from those portfolios.

The councilors denounce constant obstacles in daily administration, including the inability to replace technical staff and to process key municipal files. They describe this as “political mistreatment,” a problem they also faced during the previous term, citing colleagues Manolo Hernández and Nairobi Mesa.

“The lack of coordination, planning and dialogue with Mayor Matías Peña has created a scenario that makes it impossible to continue being part of an increasingly closed and unilateral municipal government,” they added.

In a press release, the councilors affirmed that they will maintain their commitment to the residents of Antigua and will continue to monitor and follow up on the initiatives launched up to June 2027, with the aim of defending the municipality’s interests.