Anaga Village Decries Digital Divide, Official Neglect

Life in Las Carboneras, a small village of about 90 people in the Anaga mountains of La Laguna, is tough. Residents feel cut off from the digital world and ignored by authorities, even as they work hard to keep their community alive. A recent report highlights a major problem: there's no fiber optic internet. This lack of internet holds back the village's growth, impacting everything from schooling to essential services.

This lack of technology has real consequences. For example, Alba Rodríguez Rojas, 23, recently graduated in Pharmacy from the University of La Laguna. During the pandemic, she failed a course because her internet cut out during an important exam. The problem also affects vital services, like the weekly medical and nursing clinic, which sometimes struggles to function due to unreliable internet.

The villagers feel even more helpless because Las Carboneras is part of the Anaga Biosphere Reserve. While this protects the beautiful natural area, it also places strict rules on the people living there. Pilar Rodríguez, a resident and member of the local festival committee, knows this firsthand. She explains that building her home on land inherited from her father took ten years because of all the regulations. Locals often compare the promotion of the Anaga mountains for tourism with the lack of investment in basic services and infrastructure for the people who actually live there.

The village's history is full of hard work and adaptation, as told by people like Cirilo Rodríguez Felipe and his sister Herena. Cirilo, a former forest ranger since the 1970s and ex-head of the neighborhood association, remembers broken promises, like a pond that was never built to collect ravine water. He points out that the Anaga region has always felt neglected. Herena recalls life before the road arrived in the 1970s, when people had to walk to places like Cruz del Carmen or La Laguna just to buy essential supplies.

Despite these difficulties, community life in Las Carboneras remains strong and vibrant. The village is home to the last single-teacher school in the La Laguna part of Anaga, educating six children. Public transport has also improved, with a bus line now connecting to Taborno, making it easier to get around. The close-knit community is clear from the active festival committee for San Isidro and Santa María de la Cabeza. They organize a pilgrimage that dates back to the 1930s, the same time the local chapel was built. Old traditions, like the 'mascaritas' during Carnival who visit homes asking for eggs, show a deep cultural identity that refuses to be forgotten or abandoned.