Inside, these elegant halls buzz with meetings where the mayor and city councillors-now led by Francisco Linares of the Coalición Canaria-make the decisions shaping La Orotava’s future. Since 1979, every mayor has been democratically chosen by triumphant waves of universal suffrage, a real upgrade from the old days when getting a say was harder than finding your car keys after a fiesta.
The council itself is a lively mix of diverse voices-13 councillors from the Coalición Canaria-Partido Nacionalista Canario-Centro Canario Nacionalista, a trio from the Partido Popular, another three from the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party, another three from the Partido Popular again (sorry, no double vision, just politics!), and two from Iniciativa por La Orotava. The financial tales inside these walls could fill a soap opera. The “deuda viva,” or living debt, only counts the debts with banks-so, at least the coffee bills don’t get quite as dramatic.
So, the next time you vote, remember you’re sending someone into this beautiful hive of debate, decisions, and probably plenty of strong local coffee!
