Vicente Hernández: Half a Century as Betancuria’s Commissioner

Recognition ceremony

The Cabildo of Fuerteventura and the Government of the Canary Islands honored livestock farmer Vicente Hernández on September 6 for his fifty‑year tenure as commissioner of Betancuria. The tribute took place during the traditional coastal livestock roundup ( apañada ) of Betancuria, where Hernández received a well‑deserved commendation from both administrations.

Attendees

• Lola García, President of the Cabildo
• Narvay Quintero, Councillor for Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty (Canary Islands Government)
• Matías Peña, Councillor for the Primary Sector of the Island Corporation
• Enrique Cerdeña, Mayor of Betancuria
• Andrés Díaz, Director of Livestock (Cabildo)
• Jessica de León, Councillor for Tourism (Canary Islands Government)
• Additional municipal and island representatives

Significance of the honor

“Vicente Hernández’s work is a benchmark for a practice of great importance to the primary sector and one of the most identifying elements of Majorero culture,” said President Lola García and Councillor Matías Peña.

“His commitment has kept the coastal Majorera goat—a native breed of immense value—alive and has ensured the continuity of the apañadas as an expression of identity, community, and respect for the territory,” noted Councillor Narvay Quintero and Director Andrés Díaz.

The Cabildo, through its Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, sought to recognize Hernández’s role in preserving an ancestral Majorero tradition.

Hernández’s legacy

• Vicente Hernández Santana, now 79, has served as commissioner of Betancuria’s coast since 1975.
• He first participated in an apañada at the age of eleven and has never missed a subsequent event.
• Hernández has passed the tradition on to generations, teaching it in Fuerteventura’s schools.
• He oversees the capture of livestock in three gambuesas (pasture areas): Llano del Sombrero, Gambuesa Nueva, and Janey, maintaining a living tradition that blends animal management, territorial knowledge, and community cooperation.