Puerto de la Cruz Council Announces €780k Grants Amid Cultural Sector Disputes

The Puerto de la Cruz City Council has announced it paid 780,165 euros in grants to cultural groups and organizations during the 2025 fiscal year. The council stated this payment addresses a "historic debt" that had built up over many years, with some payments overdue by more than three years.

The ruling coalition (PP-ACP-CC) issued a press release, calling this move a "decisive step" towards improving relations with the local cultural sector. They added that it shows the government's dedication to culture as a key part of the city's social and economic growth.

However, the council's statement did not name the specific groups that received payments or how much each received. This is different from earlier in the year when they publicly detailed the "inherited debt" owed to over 25 associations.

Culture Councilor Desiré Díaz, also quoted in the release, highlighted the "direct impact these grants have on local culture." She explained that these payments support the professionals, artists, and technicians who keep Puerto de la Cruz's cultural scene alive. Díaz called regularizing these payments "an urgent necessity and an act of respect" for those who have boosted the city's cultural reputation for years. She also confirmed that efforts are ongoing to pay off all remaining inherited debt.

However, Marina Velázquez, secretary of the Reyes Bartlet Cultural Association, disputes the council's claim. She states that the City Council has not paid the 132,000 euros it owes her organization, even though all required documents were submitted correctly and on time.

Velázquez explained, "So far, they've only paid us 10,000 euros from 2023 for the Culture department. They promised this year's grant would be paid soon, but we haven't received the 2025 amount or the rest of the grant, which comes from the Local Autonomous Body (OAL)." She clarified that the unpaid OAL funds are for school choir projects and music and movement classes at the School of Music, dating back to the 2019-2020 academic year. This delay, she added, is causing significant harm to the association.

She believes it's "irresponsible to claim that 780,163 euros have been paid," as it harms her organization. "Many people who work for the Choir need to be paid and are waiting for this City Council grant," she stressed.

Juan José Hernández, president of the Center for Tourist Initiatives (CIT), also reported issues. He said the 2023 debt to CIT was paid, and on July 3, 2025, they signed the agreement for the previous year (2024), a process he described as involving "all the problems and procedures that this type of delay entails." Although that payment was made on December 17, CIT has since organized major events like the Agatha Christie International Festival and Oktoberfest "without having signed the 2025 agreement, which is supposed to be 30,000 euros." As a result, Hernández stated, "the CIT will owe money to the various suppliers who participated in these events."

Hernández added that they haven't even received a draft of the 2025 agreement, despite requesting it repeatedly. He mentioned being told that current laws prevent signing it until the outstanding 2024 amount is received, but he's unsure if this is accurate.

Regardless, Hernández believes the draft should have been sent sooner so they would know what they were signing. He fears that a late agreement could lead to problems with the Audit Department and mean that suppliers, who trusted CIT, won't get paid because CIT hasn't received its funds.