Dear Mr.,

Perhaps you have never had to face a situation similar to the current one in your long political career., in which you are forced to respond to the society that targets you, as responsible for seven women risking their health, with the consequences that this entails, declaring a hunger strike for aid that has not been collected and the department that you direct, owes them.

First of all, Let me clarify some questions for you., In light of the statements made, the wise advisors who are around him and who prepare his defense arguments, you have not taken into account.

The seven magnificent women who have declared a hunger strike, certainly of different ages and situations, they have some things in common. When they were born and grew up, they learned to crawl not at home, not even in kindergarten, but in a box in the middle of the tomato furrows, developing like this, because there was no other – rain or shine- a close relationship with his parents, imbuing themselves with the values ​​they had: the word is one and an agreement is closed with a handshake, etc.

Probably, they still didn't know how to read. But they had already internalized the culture of effort, They already knew how to milk a goat or go get milk from the stable so they could have breakfast.. At that time there were no supermarkets and most of what you ate had to be grown at home., They respected older people and when they met someone, They asked for his blessing.

They learned the value of land and water as an element of production, and that cost some minister a lot of trouble even in Franco's time; That's part of your DNA..

At the time they were told that to have a future, as a feasibility plan, They had to modernize their farms from producing 10 to 20 kilograms per square meter. And they did, spending €200,000/ha, money that they previously put in (mortgaging everything there was and to have), and his department paid part of the investment made with European funds. Payment that I remind you, to date it has not been carried out, due to more than deficient management of the paying agency.

También les dijeron que, como consecuencia de hacer esas inversiones, se les iba a pagar puna ayuda por hectárea, que iba desde los 20.000€ el primer año, hasta los 7.000€ el último año, 2014. El primer año el gobierno cumplió a duras penas y con retrasos. Thereafter, los siguientes nunca ha cumplido con la cantidad acordada. Estas mujeres creyeron al gobierno.

The last friday, cuando usted se reúne con ellas y les dice que “técnicamente el gobierno no les debe nada y que, a lo sumo, lo que tiene es gobierno es una deuda moral”, lo que ha conseguido es encender más los ánimos. Entonces le preguntan a usted, que es un hombre que procede de la banca, ¿qué tipo de interés tiene la deuda moral?. Moral y político, ¡uf!. Son dos conceptos distantes. As a general rule, morale is a rather downward value in these times.

They tell us in a low voice that perhaps tomatoes are not a competitive crop and that, In addition, You have only been in this department for a year. 2011, question that is true. But it is also true that you defend and accept at face value what the author of said Plan defends..

If he made a mistake sending people to the abyss of ruin, Why don't you hold the aforementioned accountable??. You, by acting this way, has as much responsibility as him.

You should suggest to the thoughtful advisors who prepare the argument, Let them tread the ground a little more so that they realize what really exists.. Instead of seeing enemies everywhere, what it is about is that you assume what you owe, Say how and when you are going to pay and if next year you will be in the same situation. It's that simple.

Finally, I have to admit that in this conflict, you are at a clear disadvantage, because every day that passes attracts more rejection.

While, These seven brave men have collected in two days, spontaneously, more than 1.500 support signatures; while his government television ignored the news, social networks were burning; while his government denied him the use of public toilets, The residents of the area offered them the bathrooms in their homes; while the 112 I had trouble going, a volunteer doctor and nurse intervened.

Piense señor consejero que cuando una de ellas tuvo que ser evacuada a punto del coma hipoglucémico, engarrotándosele los dedos y con escozor en todo el cuerpo, solo pensaba en regresar con sus compañeras. Esa entereza, esa fuerza moral, esa convicción, ese coraje, ese espíritu de sacrificio llama la admiración de la sociedad porque no se ve todos los días. Y atrae el cariño y la solidaridad, no solo del conjunto de los agricultores sino de todos los canarios.

Es mi deseo que usted no busque fantasmas donde no los hay, sino que reaccione. Que suba un escalón en su escala de valores y se ponga a la altura de estas valientes y resuelva la situación.

Le saluda atentamente, Rafael Hernández,

Presidente de COAG Canarias.