“Discrimination” on petrol discounts

Consumer group Aculanza and the Nueva Canarias political party have demanded that the Canarian Government apply a 20-cent petrol discount to Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.

The discount currently only applies to the “green” islands of La Palma, El Hierro and La Gomera, which Aculanza claims shows clear discrimination towards the eastern Canary Islands.  

Natalia Santana of Nueva Canarias pointed out that the cost of the average shopping basket and petrol on the eastern islands has been the highest in the Canarias since 2008 and said, “sometimes it seems the government forgets that Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are also non-capital islands”.

“Non-capital island” refers to the five Canary Islands that are not seats of regional government, and raises the issue of “double insularity”, that these islands often complain of being separated not only from central government in Madrid but also regional government in Tenerife and Gran Canaria.