Socialist Deputy Sues Canary Islands Government Over La Palma Reconstruction Transparency

Socialist deputy Alicia Vanoostende has taken the Canary Islands government to court over its refusal to release public records regarding the reconstruction of La Palma. This legal move marks a significant escalation in the ongoing dispute over parliamentary oversight in the region.

Vanoostende is pursuing contentious-administrative proceedings after the regional government—a coalition of the Canarian Coalition and the People's Party—repeatedly blocked her requests for a list of subsidy recipients linked to the Cumbre Vieja volcanic eruption. This is despite the fact that her request had already been approved by the regional parliament’s governing body.

The conflict centers on the right of elected officials to access public information, which is vital for holding the government accountable. Vanoostende, supported by La Palma’s PSOE leadership, has clarified that her legal action is not about questioning how the funds were spent, but rather about challenging the government’s institutional obstruction. She argues that transparency is a legal obligation, not a matter of political choice.

From a legal standpoint, the case touches on Article 23 of the Spanish Constitution, which protects the right of citizens to participate in public affairs through their representatives. The Constitutional Court has long held that a parliamentarian’s right to obtain information from the government is a fundamental pillar of democracy, and that blocking this access can violate the rights of the office.

Vanoostende turned to the courts only after exhausting all other administrative appeals without receiving a response from the government. By taking this step, she hopes to establish a clear precedent for accountability in crisis management. She maintains that opacity in distributing aid not only prevents the opposition from doing its job but also damages public trust in how recovery funds are being handled following the volcanic disaster.