Yaiza points finger at Cabildo for “Five Years of Neglect”

It has now been five years since a gaping sinkhole forced the closure of the LZ-703 road near Los Hervideros, and the Mayor of Yaiza has accused the Cabildo of Lanzarote of turning the site into a “monument to neglect.”

The road was shut to traffic on February 16th 2021 by the Cabildo to guarantee road safety. However, with no solution yet in sight, the Mayor of Yaiza, Óscar Noda is directing blame at both past and present administrations for their “inaction” in executing the necessary refurbishment project.

“The Cabildo was unable to declare an emergency at the outset to speed up the intervention. The responsibility is shared between this and the previous government, although the current one guaranteed an immediate solution and even Oswaldo Betancort campaigned promising action.”

The prolonged closure has had a knock-on effect for local businesses and tourism, with the mayor highlighting the impact on the nearby coastal village of El Golfo.

“We understand that it is a complex project, but we have now reached five years with the road closed, with incalculable losses for El Golfo, which has also been deceived by the island government,” he explained. “In addition, we are depriving residents and tourists of one of the most impressive routes we can offer in the south of Lanzarote.”

Noda revealed that numerous proposals regarding the sinkhole have been put forward over the years, both from his government group in Yaiza and personally during his time as a councillor in the opposition at the Cabildo.

He has now issued a direct challenge to the island’s President, Oswaldo Betancort, urging him to take immediate action. “Cut the talk and take action,” Noda demanded.

The mayor recalled that Betancort visited the sinkhole on July 11th, 2023, pledging a swift execution of the works. “But the reality is that in 2026 we find ourselves in exactly the same situation, with the road closed,” Noda lamented.

While the president did present a project drafted by Tragsa in March 2025, estimating the investment at more than €7 million and announcing a tender for the end of 2025, Noda remains unconvinced.

Concluding his statement, the mayor pointed to the ongoing political deadlock. “The Cabildo (CC-PP) denounces the inaction of the previous government headed by Dolores Corujo, even though the PP was also part of it alongside the PSOE, and we are just over a year away from the end of the current term of office and the sinkhole continues to count days, months, and years.”