They Knew There Were Infected on the Ship

Fernando Clavijo accuses the central government of “deliberately hiding” that they knew there were hantavirus‑positive cases aboard the MV Hondius. The president of the Canary Islands Government, Fernando Clavijo, on Tuesday accused the central government of deliberately concealing that they were aware of hantavirus‑positive individuals on the MV Hondius, which set sail from Tenerife on Monday afternoon after completing the evacuation operation.

“They knew there were infected on the ship,” he said during the parliamentary control session, responding to questions from AHI and CC, emphasizing that it was a “big lie” and citing reports from the Prensa Ibérica press group about an American passenger who tested positive.

He described the situation as a “sad day” for the Canary Islands and for “democracy,” noting that the information was “determinant” and shows that institutional loyalty, good faith, and proper conduct “have been broken.”

Clavijo highlighted that from the outset the Canary Islands Government requested testing on the cruise ship—following the recommendation of Basilio Valladares, founder of the Institute of Tropical Diseases—and that the evacuation should have been carried out “in a single day.” He argued that this could have been achieved with the two aircraft chartered from the Netherlands, but the operation “became complicated” and required the ship to dock.

“They didn’t want tests on the ship because it would expose the big lie,” he added, stressing that the Canary Islands only asked for “respect and dignity” and received “lies and concealment” in return.

AHI spokesperson Raúl Acosta stated that “no one” can “lecture the people of the Canary Islands on solidarity” after they have been “alone” in handling the migration crisis and are now being “pointed at.”

He thanked Clavijo for his “effort” in “defending the dignity” of the islands and “doing the work that must be done,” which he described as “demanding the highest safety guarantees.”

Acosta also criticized the central government for making decisions “unilaterally” when “maximum coordination” among institutions was required, and for failing to provide proper information. “Asking or proposing should not bother anyone,” he said.

Acosta expressed satisfaction that “things have turned out well” but accused the central government of having “dynamited” institutional relations.

Nationalist Group president David Toledo affirmed that “no one will ever be able to label the Canary Islands as unsolidary” after they have “single‑handedly” welcomed migrants, to the point where the Supreme Court “forced the assumption of competencies.”

He recalled how CC “helped during the pandemic” for the Canary Islands Government and noted that “others always choose Madrid,” demanding that socialist youth remove social‑media posts that refer to Clavijo as a “filthy rat” or “scum.”

He does not understand why socialists are “upset” when reports are requested to “protect” the Canary population and rejected the notion that the move was “to please the gentlemen from Madrid.”