SPAIN -- Canaries Head Informs Madrid of Possible Rebellion Due to Oil Exploration / Sputnik International
On Sunday evening, Canarians are expected to rally against Madrid's
actions. Greenpeace said it would hold similar protests in several
Spanish cities.
MADRID, November 23 (Sputnik) — President of the
Canary Islands Paulino Rivero has informed the Spanish authorities of
possible rebellion by the Canarian people due to oil exploration near
the islands, Europa Press news agency reported on Sunday.
“If the government turn its back on its people, then people will rise against the abuse of power,” Rivero said.
In June, environmentalists and the Canary Islands authorities filed a
lawsuit with the Supreme Court of Spain, questioning the right of Repsol
energy company to carry out offshore drilling near the islands. The
lawsuit, however, has been rejected. Oil exploration sites are located
close to the islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, which are part of
UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) program.
In
August, the Spanish government allowed Repsol to start the oil
exploration near the Canary Islands — a move, which has faced strong
opposition by the local residents and many ecological organizations.
