This was always going to be questioned.
The groups behind Canarias Tiene un Límite, the movement that organised the mass protests on 20 April, have formally asked Coalición Canaria to make public the plans they claim to have for limiting growth in the islands, including their much-talked-about Law of Residence.
So far, according to the movement, there’s been plenty of talk and very little substance.
Strong statements, light on detail
Back in January, at Coalición Canaria’s island convention in Tenerife, senior figures spoke confidently about setting limits to growth and even approving a Law of Residence.
Big statements.
The problem, say the groups behind Canarias Tiene un Límite, is that none of this has been backed up with actual proposals. No documents. No breakdown of measures. No explanation of how any of it would work in practice.
Just headlines.
The timing hasn’t gone unnoticed
The criticism sharpens when you look at what happened next.
Only days ago, those same political figures were at FITUR, celebrating the arrival of almost 18.5 million tourists, the highest figure in the Canary Islands’ history.
During those celebrations, there was no mention of limiting growth. No reference to caps. And no mention of one of the movement’s core demands… a tourism and holiday rental moratorium.
That contradiction hasn’t gone down well.
The protests came with proposals, not slogans
One thing that often gets overlooked is that the 20A demonstrations weren’t vague or improvised.
Dozens of collectives worked together on a detailed document containing more than 80 concrete measures aimed at changing the current development model in the Canary Islands. That included proposals for:
- A Law of Residence
- Limits to growth
- Controls on tourism and holiday rentals
The document was formally sent to institutions and political parties across the islands.
According to the movement, no response has been received.
A familiar preelectoral pattern?
Canarias Tiene un Límite has warned that the islands are now entering a preelectoral phase, and they believe a familiar strategy is already emerging.
Their concern is that social demands will be:
- Adopted in language
- Emptied of content
- Presented as if they’re already being addressed
- And used to neutralise pressure from the streets
In short, using the words without committing to the substance.
They’ve described recent announcements as potentially little more than a staged performance, built on empty headlines and borrowed demands, while real policy continues elsewhere.
A straightforward request
The movement’s demand is simple.
If Coalición Canaria genuinely has plans to:
- Limit growth
- Introduce a Law of Residence
Then publish them.
Explain what the measures are.
Explain how they would be implemented.
Explain how they would achieve the stated goals.
Until that happens, suspicion remains.
Vigilance promised
Canarias Tiene un Límite has said it will remain vigilant, and will publicly challenge any attempt to dilute or manipulate the demands that emerged from the protests.
They’ve confirmed their request for information has already been formally submitted, and that they will keep the media informed of any response, or lack of one.
The bigger picture
Calls to limit growth and introduce a Law of Residence are politically explosive topics in the Canary Islands.
That’s precisely why clarity matters.
If these ideas are serious, they deserve serious scrutiny.
If they’re just preelectoral noise, people will spot it quickly.
Either way, this debate isn’t going away.
