Neighbors of Antigua: “The battle must continue, nothing’s been signed”
The inhabitants of Antigua will keep up their protests and stress that halting the antenna’s installation is a citizen victory, not a political one. They claim that without pressure the antenna would have been erected in ten days.
Mobilisations Continue
The residents of Antigua who have spent the past months fighting to prevent a telecommunications antenna from being placed just metres from their homes are openly pleased. Their grassroots mobilisation, which began as soon as they learned of the project, is finally bearing fruit.
This week, two ministers—Óscar López and Ángel Víctor Torres—mediated an agreement between the town council and Totem, the company slated to install the antenna, to locate it away from the urban centre, as the neighbours demanded.
Despite the announcement, the spokespersons told La Voz de Fuerteventura on Radio Insular that they will not lower the guard until an official document guarantees the relocation of the infrastructure.
Alejandro Reyeros and Carlos González welcomed the news cautiously, saying, “with great enthusiasm… but we remain wary.” They fear the promise of relocation could remain just words and never be signed:
“We want to see it materialised so we can have absolute peace of mind.”
Consequently, they announced that the neighbourhood movement will not stop. González added:
“The battle, as I call it, even if some don’t like it, must continue.”
He warned that residents will keep gathering every weekday until a document signed by the official body and Totem’s CEO is publicly displayed, after which the protests will cease.
Health and Coverage: The Conflict’s Background
The residents admit they now suffer telephone‑service problems after the lease on the previous antenna—mounted on a private roof—ended, but they prioritise health concerns, recalling cancer cases near the former site.
“For example, with the antenna that was removed, four neighbours in the front part died of cancer, and five more in the back part.”
The testimony also evokes Antoñito, a child from Salinas del Carmen who died of leukaemia; his mother recounted that, when the oncologist diagnosed him, he immediately asked whether the boy lived near an antenna. Reyeros summed up the community’s stance:
“Even if we have coverage problems, we endure them calmly as long as they don’t place the antenna near us.”
“We understand that, with today’s technology, antennas are absolutely necessary. What we do not want is for them to be installed next to inhabited homes.”
A Citizen Victory, Not a Political One
Neighbourhood representatives claim the victory achieved by halting the installation belongs to the citizens, despite numerous press releases from political parties, the Ministry and the Antigua town council. They stress:
“The only protagonists here are the neighbours, because if we didn’t keep our unity and strength, the antenna would have been up in ten days.”
They also highlighted the collective effort sustained for more than two months:
“We are now at day 67, still resisting and holding on… Consistency and unity ultimately bring results.”
Reyeros went further, emphasizing the relentless pressure from the community that finally forced a political response. As they concluded:
“When a people unite, nothing can stop them.”
The people of Antigua remain united and will not rest until an official document certifies the permanent installation of the telecommunications tower at a safe distance from their homes.