It was recently reported that the president of the popular Rastro (market) in Santa Cruz had announced her resignation.
Carmen Tejera said that the reason for her resignation was that she did not agree with the fact that all Rastro traders, including "illegal" traders, were obliged to pay for a license. "We are in a recession," she remarked. "There are lots of people who take advantage of the Rastro to make a bit of money selling second-hand goods."
Nevertheless, at a recent meeting, her resignation was rejected by her fellow traders and they voted for her to be re-elected. Tejera told supporters that she had been on the receiving end of a lot of criticism, had had confrontations with the police and residents and had left the Ayuntamiento in handcuffs. However, she ended by saying "But if I have to fight for what is ours, I will," a statement that was met with rapturous applause.
The Fedaraciόn de Comercio de Tenerife (Fedco) lawyer Carlos Ravelo has insisted "that the law be complied with and that the authorisations and licences be renewed". He indicated that he had contacted Mayor Miguel Zerola to request unauthorised vendors be banned from the market.
Fedco also believes that the image of the Rastro is "maybe not adequate for a municipality such as Santa Cruz because it is all over the place, not uniform in appearance, lacks services and often the stock is displayed on the ground."
Apparently, Santa Cruz council have no objections to the Rastro and consider it to be a vital part of the economy. At least 700 poor families in Santa Cruz depend on the Rastro for their living and it is hoped that not too many changes will be made to what is supposed to be a free and independent market.
