NEWS FROM TENERIFE #4

News from Tenerife #4 will be published on Monday as a brief summary of the past week’s events on your favorite website. In this series, we highlight several events and news stories from the past week. Each article in News from Tenerife #4 is a synthesis of several facts, actions, and occurrences that are too short to be published as full-length articles.

Incorrect statement

The Platform Stop Vertidos demands an apology from the president of the Tenerife Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, after she claimed that 450 homes in the Punta Brava neighborhood were not connected to the sewage network. She referred to this as a historical problem in a statement. She stated that unwanted discharges had occurred, increasing the load on the wastewater treatment plant, which was already operating at maximum capacity.

Now that the census is complete, it is known that only 28% of the houses are not connected. She is expected to apologize and take responsibility. The discharges originated from a facility under her jurisdiction.

The Plataforma Stop Vertidos further asserts that no sewage collectors being built in the La Orotava Valley will be connected to the treatment plant until the expansion work, planned since 2015, is carried out. This is because the current problems will not be solved otherwise.

New protests

A new demonstration called “Canarias tiene un límite” – “Canarias has a limit” – took place in the tourist areas of the islands, with a lower turnout than the massive protests of April 20.

Thousands of people marched through the main tourist areas of the Canary Islands on Sunday to protest against the excesses of tourism, overpopulation, pressure on the housing market, and the perception that nothing has changed.

The goal of the demonstration was to demand a different economic model for the Canary Islands, just like on April 20, but with fewer participants this time.

There were large protests in Playa de las Américas in Tenerife and in Maspalomas in Gran Canaria, both of which have been at the heart of the tourism sector for decades. The union Sindicalistas de Base, the largest labor union in the tourism sector on Tenerife, also joined the march.

On the other islands, protests took place along the promenade of Puerto del Carmen in Lanzarote, at the water park in Corralejo on Fuerteventura, in Los Llanos de Aridane on La Palma, and in front of the Cabildo of El Hierro.

Massive hack of WhatsApp accounts

A worrying cyberattack has affected many residents and tourists in the south of Tenerife after their WhatsApp accounts were massively hacked.

The modus operandi of the attack involves sending a seemingly innocent message, apparently from a known contact, asking for a six-digit verification code to install an app. This code is actually the one normally used by the messaging service when installing the app, but the hackers use it to gain full control of the victim’s WhatsApp account.

Once the hackers gain control of the account, they begin contacting the affected user’s contacts with an urgent request for money to be sent via the Bizum platform, with amounts up to €480.

Recommendations for those who were hacked include uninstalling and reinstalling the WhatsApp app using their phone number. However, this process can be complicated; users may receive a warning message stating they have entered the verification code too many times, forcing them to wait up to 11 hours to try again. According to experts, during this period, the hacker loses control of the account.

Authorities and cybersecurity experts urge users to be cautious and not send verification codes unless they are absolutely sure of the source.

Burned body is not that of missing Marc Olbrecht

Authorities have confirmed that the burned body recently found under a highway bridge in La Listada is not that of Marc Olbrecht, the Belgian man who has been missing since April 2024. The discovery of the body in this remote location caused widespread concern, especially due to Olbrecht’s prolonged disappearance. Marc’s family and friends were holding their breath, but after forensic investigations, no connection has been found between the body and his disappearance.

The burned body was discovered earlier this month by a passerby who immediately alerted the authorities. Due to the condition of the body, immediate identification was impossible, leading to fears and speculation, including potential links to Olbrecht’s case. Police conducted a thorough investigation, with DNA tests playing a crucial role in ruling out a connection with Marc Olbrecht.

While the identity of the found person is still under investigation, it remains a mystery who the victim is and what the circumstances surrounding the death are. Meanwhile, the search for Marc Olbrecht is still ongoing. His family continues to ask for information and hopes that new clues will help solve his disappearance.

Authorities are urging anyone with information about both Marc Olbrecht’s disappearance and the burned body found in La Listada to contact the police.

Gastronomic delicacy

Cruasán XXL and papas locas with chicken breast is a traditional dish in the Canary Islands that is indispensable for any good piscolabis (snack or light meal), and it is increasingly drawing attention from both locals and tourists.

A mix of history and flavor. Although France has taken credit for creating the croissant, it was actually the Austrians who are behind this delightful pastry. According to historian Alfred Gottschalk, mentioned in Larousse Gastronomique, the croissant originated during the Turco-Ottoman wars over three centuries ago. Austrian bakers made bread for their troops during the night, and their efforts were rewarded by the emperor. They created two types of bread: the panecillo imperialand the kipferl, a crescent-shaped roll that eventually evolved into the famous croissant. The story goes that the croissant arrived in France via Marie Antoinette, the Austrian queen of France.

Canarian bars have taken this traditional pastry to a new level. Instead of small and refined, you’ll find enormous savory croissants in piscolabis Siroco. A popular creation is the “Pumuki,” filled with chicken, cabbage, cheese, a fried egg, pepper, fresh onion, potatoes, and alioli. This impressive dish costs around ten euros and provides plenty of energy to keep going.

Another popular variant is the “crocodile croissant,” filled with chicken, bacon, cheese, ham, cheddar sauce, and alioli. These giant creations are a true delight for the taste buds.

These events and developments have a significant impact on life in Tenerife and highlight the diverse challenges, developments, and opportunities facing the island.