Alex Trelinski
BENEJUZAR has cancelled all of its 2022 fiestas after a council meeting voted down a proposal to pay for them.
The news means the abrupt cancellation of Moors and Christians festivities in the southern Alicante Province town- just four days before the extensive programme of celebrations was scheduled to start, including the crowd-drawing parades.
The council led by Ciudadanos mayor, Rosa Garcia, is working on an overall budget extended from 2021 with no budget line for fiestas, after two years of Covid cancellations.
She wanted €180,000 approved for fiestas, but the proposal was rejected after a PSOE councillor, who is part of the ruling coalition with Ciudadanos, decided to abstain.
Another PSOE representative was absent from the meeting.
That meant the opposition Partido Popular(PP) blocked the fiesta cash by six votes to five.
Rosa Garcia said: “It is sad and outrageous that the PP and the PSOE have left a town without fiestas until December 31.”
Ironically, Benejuzar has this year submitted a claim to be recognised as an area that holds ‘Festivals of Regional Tourist Interest’.
Events including October’s Rosario festivities; Halloween, Christmas, and the Pilar festivities have all been cancelled, alongside the Moors and Christians festival.
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