Fuerteventura Avanza says La Matilla has been left behind: ‘A term without management’
1. Key points
Fuerteventura Avanza denounces the state of neglect in the village of La Matilla, in the municipality of Puerto del Rosario.
The sports court, damaged by last winter's rains, still has part of its roof detached and has not been repaired.
The old cultural centre was demolished on a promise to build a new one, which has yet to materialise.
The party also flags electrical installations protected only by an improvised wooden box.
Spokesperson Peña Armas demands immediate repair of the court, the new cultural centre and a real maintenance plan for villages and neighbourhoods.
2. The news in detail
Fuerteventura Avanza has denounced the neglect it says the village of La Matilla is suffering, arguing that the situation faced by residents is the clearest evidence that the current governing group has given up on the real needs of the villages and neighbourhoods of Puerto del Rosario.
The party points to the village sports court, badly damaged during last winter's heavy rain. Months later, part of its roof is still detached and the facility remains unrepaired, depriving children, young people and residents of an essential space for sport and community life.
That is not the only example. The old cultural centre was demolished on a commitment to build a new one — a promise that has still not materialised. In the meantime the village has nowhere to hold cultural, social or neighbourhood activities. To this the party adds the general deterioration of the surroundings and features that may pose a safety risk, such as electrical installations protected only by an improvised wooden box.
Fuerteventura Avanza argues that the municipal government appears to have forgotten that the municipality does not end at the town centre, and that villages and neighbourhoods deserve the same level of attention, investment and maintenance. After three years in office, it says, the governing group has plainly been unable to deliver the projects it promised: infrastructure keeps deteriorating and the works never arrive.
The party therefore demands immediate action to repair the sports court, to finally push forward construction of the new cultural centre, and to launch a genuine maintenance plan for the municipality's villages and neighbourhoods.
3. Voices and statements
“What is happening in La Matilla is not an isolated case. It is the model of management being imposed on Puerto del Rosario: plenty of photographs, plenty of announcements and very few real actions.”
“Residents no longer need announcements of grand investments or more excuses. They need a government that solves problems, maintains public infrastructure and keeps the commitments it has made. Governing is not about presenting projects that never arrive; governing means delivering them.”
“La Matilla deserves respect. And that respect starts with keeping your word and no longer treating our villages as second-class citizens,” concluded Peña Armas, spokesperson for Fuerteventura Avanza.
4. Context and background
The press statement was issued in Puerto del Rosario on 9 July 2026 by Fuerteventura Avanza, an opposition party on the municipal council.
La Matilla is one of the inland villages of Puerto del Rosario, Fuerteventura's most populous municipality, which beyond its town centre takes in numerous rural settlements and outlying neighbourhoods. The sports court cited in the complaint was damaged during last winter's rainfall; the old cultural centre was demolished on a commitment — still outstanding — to replace it with a new facility.
At the time of publication no official response from the municipal governing group had been issued. Fuerteventura TV remains available to publish any clarification.
5. What it means for Fuerteventura
The tension between the town centre and the rural settlements has run through Puerto del Rosario's politics for years, and it echoes across Fuerteventura: the upkeep of sports facilities, cultural spaces and the safety of public infrastructure are what residents use to judge an administration, far more than headline announcements.
The La Matilla case arrives three years into the municipal term, as the record of the current governing group moves to the centre of public debate. We will keep following it in our Fuerteventura news; to discover the island's interior beyond the beaches, there are our guided excursions.
6. Official sources and contacts
👉
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
