Daniela Ploteguer says self‑employed protesters who shut off terminals lack common sense

The self‑employed of Fuerteventura have been organizing a protest for weeks, deciding not to use point‑of‑sale terminals (TPV) from 1 to 15 November. They claim the “leonine” conditions imposed by banks, together with other difficulties linked to their entrepreneurial status, make the use of TPV untenable.

During the protest, customers of participating businesses must pay in cash. Although the merchants risk losing sales, many argue that “the fight is worth it and, for once, we are organizing ourselves into a force to be taken seriously.”

Ploteguer’s Response

In this context, Daniela Ploteguer—an Italian entrepreneur residing in Fuerteventura and president of the Puerto del Rosario Business Association—took to her social networks to denounce the strike. She wrote without hesitation:

“The majority of people with common sense take care of and respect their client, who is the one that provides the economy for them to live. The logical thing is to go directly after the one who causes the problem, not the one who is innocent. In short, what a disaster—any self‑employed who participates in this is digging his own grave.”

Reactions from Protesters

Sources close to the protest say that Ploteguer “does not seem to understand, from the podium of her association, the problems faced by self‑employed workers and the power of protests to achieve goals.” They added that they feel “betrayed by the stance of a business‑association leader, especially by the way she publicly dismisses us.”

Controversies Surrounding the Business Association

It is worth recalling that the association led by Ploteguer was previously accused in 2024 by the political group Contigo Fuerteventura of “failing to comply with both the campaign rules and the collaboration agreement with the town hall” in the “Busca la Suerte” campaign.

The dispute centered on the allocation of campaign prizes, which were required to be spent in establishments belonging to the association. Ploteguer herself confirmed that the prizes were indeed used exclusively in member businesses, stating that “the same merchants who carried out the work and believed in the project from the beginning” received them.

These accusations also implicated the local Chamber of Commerce, the Cabildo, and the town hall as sponsors of the project.