Home care for 120 dependent individuals to be resolved in court

AFFA, ACUFADE and ODESOCAN have denounced irregularities in the award of the contract that will provide home‑care services to 120 people on Fuerteventura, arguing that the winning entity is not accredited to deliver the service. The Cabildo (island council) defends the legality of the entire process, noting that one of the complainants was excluded for “unsalvageable” defects.

The social concert promoted by the Cabildo of Fuerteventura to manage the Service for the Promotion of Personal Autonomy (SPAP)—whose ultimate goal is to assist people in dependency situations on the island—has become news this week after three social collectives raised concerns about the tender.

According to the public statements of AFFA, ACUFADE and ODESOCAN, the winning organization, Asociación Solidaria Mundo Nuevo, is “not accredited” to provide the service, which specifically involves home support for dependent persons.

The Cabildo has responded by defending the legality of the procedure, suggesting that, despite accusations of prevarication from the three groups, the dispute is more about differing technical criteria for validating the accreditations of the bidding entities than about corruption, as the complainants have implied.

The favorable resolution of this SPAP, budgeted at €1,722,000, will determine the care for 120 dependent individuals.

The dispute will be settled in court before the regular courts

• ODESOCAN (Observatorio de Derechos Sociales de Canarias) announced a criminal complaint against the Cabildo’s Social Services Department, headed by Víctor Alonso (PSOE).
• Meanwhile, AFFA (Asociación de Fuerteventura de Familias de Personas con Alzheimer y otras Demencias) filed an administrative‑law appeal on 12 May, requesting urgent precautionary measures to freeze the procedure until a judge decides.

“We cannot allow a service as sensitive as dependency care to generate doubts about its management,” said Claudio Gutiérrez, PP spokesperson.

The court’s ruling on the purely administrative matter will clarify the scope and seriousness of any alleged irregularities—and, if any exist, whether they have criminal implications.

The documentation cited by the complainants indicates that the General Directorate of Dependency of the Canary Islands Government and the Accreditations Services Office note that Mundo Nuevo is registered as a “collaborating entity” but “is not accredited for the Home Promotion of Personal Autonomy Service.” They stress that registration as a collaborating entity does not equate to accreditation for that specific service.

The third collective involved, ACUFADE, is a Canary‑based organization specialized in supporting elderly, dependent persons and their families.

Cabildo of Fuerteventura defends the legality of the award

The Cabildo rejects all accusations and maintains that the award is legal. It asserts that the winning entity “meets all required criteria” and that the process complied with current regulations.

In a statement, the Cabildo explained that one of the bidding entities was excluded due to an “unsalvageable defect” in its administrative documentation. The awarded entity, Mundo Nuevo, is listed in the Register of Collaborating Entities for the Provision of Social Services in the Canary Islands, which the Cabildo interprets as authorizing it to deliver the service under existing law.

The council also highlighted that the service has not yet begun, so any impact on families is potential, not actual at this stage.

Media reports, such as from Radio Insular, note that AFFA revealed in an April interview that it was excluded from the Social Concert because of a “formal defect,” aligning with the Cabildo’s claim of unsalvageable defects.

PP demands the president’s appearance before the plenary

The People’s Party (PP), acting as the opposition in the Cabildo, has formally requested that Cabildo President Lola García (CC) appear before the plenary to explain the allegations raised by AFFA, ACUFADE and ODESOCAN. The PP also seeks full access to the Social Action files related to the tender.

“The president must inform the plenary about these alleged accreditation irregularities, as the proper functioning of our administration is at stake,” said Claudio Gutiérrez, PP spokesperson.

The PP further demands complete copies of internal reports and communications to verify whether the Cabildo considered warnings from the Canary Islands Administration about the winning entity’s accreditation, or if any objections were raised during the process.