Tenerife Council Faces Backlash Over Influencer Access to Emergency Command Center
Tenerife’s Island Council faces political backlash after officials permitted a digital content creator to access the secure emergency coordination center during Storm Therese, sparking concerns over protocol breaches and the integrity of crisis communications.
A political row has erupted within the Tenerife Island Council (Cabildo de Tenerife) over how the government manages communication during climate emergencies. The controversy follows the recent storm Therese, after it was revealed that a digital content creator was granted access to the Island Emergency Coordination Center (Cecopin).
The debate centers on whether it was appropriate to allow someone outside of official channels into a secure facility where critical emergency decisions are made. While the governing party has not explained the technical reasoning behind this decision, the Island Director of Emergencies, Iván Martín, took responsibility, dismissing it as a minor operational choice that did not hinder the storm response.
Opposition councilor Javier Rodríguez, representing the PSOE, challenged this, arguing that the Island Emergency Plan (PEIN) strictly limits who can access and share data during a crisis. The PSOE maintains that information must only come from authorized spokespersons and official press offices to ensure accuracy. They have criticized the move as a breach of protocol, warning that emergency centers should not be used as sets for creating social media content.
The incident has also exposed internal political friction. The socialist group criticized the Councilor for Natural Environment and Security, Blanca Pérez, for failing to provide an explanation, arguing that political leaders cannot shift responsibility onto their staff.
This clash highlights a growing tension between the government’s desire to use modern digital storytelling and the need to follow strict security regulations. The PSOE insists that the Cabildo’s leadership has a duty to maintain control over emergency information, a responsibility they believe was undermined by allowing an outsider into a strategic command center. The council session ended without further technical clarification from the government, leaving the political dispute unresolved.