Tefía now an emblem of memory and dignity

“It is important to do justice with truth and with people, and for new generations to know what happened here, as a reference for reparations and symbolic justice.”

The Spanish Government has transformed the former Agricultural Penitentiary Colony of Tefía—which housed a forced‑labor camp for homosexuals during the Franco dictatorship, imprisoning around 100 people—into a Democratic Memory Site. This marks the first such site in the Canary Islands and will eventually become a museum. On Friday, the newly designated space hosted a ceremony honoring the victims and recognizing the struggle of the LGTBI+ community.

The Cabildo of Fuerteventura and the activist group Altihay succeeded in having the former colony declared a Democratic Memory Site. The site “for eleven years housed a forced‑labor camp for people persecuted by the Franco regime because of their sexual orientation,” the Cabildo stated in a press release.

The declaration makes Tefía the first Democratic Memory Site in the Canary Islands and the first in Spain dedicated to the LGTBIQ+ community. This achievement results from more than two decades of sustained advocacy by Altihay and the Cabildo, aiming to turn the location into a place of remembrance, dignifying the victims of the dictatorship’s repression, and serving as a symbol of memory, justice, and democratic commitment so that such atrocities never recur.

During the ceremony, Lola García, President of the Cabildo of Fuerteventura, emphasized the need “to do justice with memory, truth, and, above all, with people.” She added: “Today we declare this space a Democratic Memory Site so that silence never again hides what happened here and so that future generations see this place as a reference for reparations and symbolic justice.”

García highlighted the work of Altihay Fuerteventura, which “has spent all this time recalling the reality lived in Tefía and, more than twenty years ago, launched this project together with the Cabildo, firmly committed to making this place known for what it was.” She noted that an LGTBIQ+ memory space is already open within the facilities, a key step toward a more ambitious plan to turn the site into the future Canary Center for the Interpretation of LGTBIQ+ Historical Memory. The project is driven by Altihay and the Cabildo’s Department of Social Action, Diversity and LGTBIQ+, as well as the Department of Education and Youth, which manages the facilities, and receives financial support from the Ministry of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory.

Ángel Víctor Torres, Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, said: “Today we witness a beautiful act of justice in Fuerteventura, honoring nine people from the Canary Islands and the country who suffered persecution, as well as the ALTIHAY collective, who are being recognized with full dignity. Thank you for being an example, because democracy is built on truth.”

Fernando Clavijo, President of the Government of the Canary Islands, declared: “Today this place ceases to be a silenced space and becomes a Democratic Memory Site. A venue that once caused so much pain now becomes a symbol of truth to remember what happened here and to ensure it never repeats. Democracy is strengthened when we listen to those who have been silenced.”

Other officials present included Víctor Alonso, Councillor for Social Action, Diversity and LGTBIQ+, and Adargoma Hernández, Councillor for Education and Youth, along with representatives of ALTIHAY Fuerteventura. Desiré Chacón, speaking for the collective, dedicated the achievement to all who have fought to make the project a reality and to build a more just and free Fuerteventura: “We have worked for the promise we made 24 years ago to Octavio García in this very place. Today we see one of our main goals fulfilled, from activist and community work to secure a space that recognizes the dignity of people.”

The ceremony paid tribute to:

• Octavio García Hernández and Juan Curbelo Oramas, victims of the colony;
• Montserrat González Montenegro and Marcela Rodríguez Acosta, icons of the struggle and dignity in the Canary Islands;
• Pioneering figures such as Pedro Zerolo, Carla Antonelli, Empar Pineda, Antonio Roig, and La Otxoa, who, through activism, culture, and politics, opened pathways to freedom for everyone.