LANZAROTE TOURIST CENTRES SHAKE-UP: ÁNGEL VÁZQUEZ REPLACED AFTER RECRUITMENT CONTROVERSY
Lanzarote Tourist Centres Face Leadership Change After Recruitment Controversy
Lanzarote’s network of famous tourist attractions is at the centre of a political controversy after Ángel Vázquez was replaced as the councillor responsible for the island’s Centres of Art, Culture and Tourism (CACT). The change was announced on 13 October 2026, with María Jesús Tovar taking over responsibility for the attractions managed by the island’s public tourism company.
The decision follows scrutiny of a recruitment process in which Vázquez’s son, Gabriel Vázquez Díaz, obtained a permanent position as a dishwasher. The post was one of 15 permanent vacancies offered through a selection process involving a combination of competitive examination and assessment of merits.
Why has the appointment become controversial?
The issue is not simply that a relative of a senior official secured a job. Reports say the final resolution confirming the successful candidates was signed by Ángel Vázquez himself. He has maintained that he stayed out of the assessment and selection of candidates and described his signature as formal and procedural.
The organisation’s Human Resources department and its works committee have also defended aspects of the recruitment process, saying that the selection arrangements operated properly and that Vázquez did not personally take part in evaluating candidates.
However, a legal report prepared for the tourist centres’ governing body concluded that Vázquez should have declared the potential conflict of interest and abstained from involvement in the procedure once his son was among the admitted applicants. The report warned that the process could be legally challengeable and proposed steps to address the issue while protecting applicants who acted in good faith. The precise administrative consequences will depend on the formal decisions taken after the review.
What happens next?
The president of Lanzarote’s Cabildo, Oswaldo Betancort, requested the full recruitment file so the circumstances could be examined. Following the legal report, the Partido Popular announced that Vázquez would no longer lead the CACT area and that María Jesús Tovar would assume responsibility.
As of 14 October, reports indicate that Vázquez has been removed from responsibility for the tourist centres, but that this is not the same as confirming that he has left his seat as a Cabildo councillor. He has also been reported to be on medical leave. The PSOE has called for further political accountability and an extraordinary council meeting, while the PP has said the decision to change the area’s leadership followed the legal findings.
It is important to distinguish between the concerns raised about the procedure and any final legal determination. The available reports describe a legal assessment and proposed corrective steps; they do not establish that the successful candidate personally did anything wrong.
Why this matters to Lanzarote
The Centres of Art, Culture and Tourism are a major part of Lanzarote’s visitor offering. The network includes internationally known attractions associated with the island’s volcanic landscape and artistic heritage, and it plays an important role in tourism, employment and the island’s public finances.
For residents, the controversy raises questions about transparency, conflicts of interest and how public-sector recruitment is overseen. For visitors, there is no indication in the reports that the leadership change itself means the island’s attractions are closing or that ordinary visits are affected. Travellers planning to visit should continue to check official CACT information for opening times, tickets and any operational notices.
The wider question is whether the review and any subsequent decisions will reassure the public that recruitment is fair, documented and handled independently where potential conflicts arise.
A developing story
This is an ongoing local political story, and further details may emerge as the Cabildo and the tourist centres complete their review. Lanzarote residents and visitors should look for updates from official institutions and established local news sources, particularly on whether the recruitment process will be formally corrected and what further decisions are made about political responsibility.
