The former president of the Canary Islands Lorenzo Olarte died tonight at the age of 91 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where he had been hospitalized since the beginning of this week, as confirmed by the regional government.
Lorenzo Olarte presided over the Government of the Canary Islands between 1988 and 1991 and then served as vice president and Minister of Tourism of the autonomous community between 1995 and 1999.
In his long political career, he was also president of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria between the end of the Franco regime and the Transition (1974-1979) and was elected deputy in both the Congress and the Parliament of the autonomous community.
His last public appearance took place on November 22, when he went to the Town Hall of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to say goodbye to Jerónimo Saavedra (1936-2023) in his funeral chapel along with five other presidents of the Canary Islands, Manuel Hermoso, Román Rodríguez, Paulino Rivero, Fernando Clavijo and Ángel Víctor Torres.
The Government of the Canary Islands has announced that the president, Fernando Clavijo, is suspending his entire agenda as a sign of mourning.
"He always defended the Canary Islands and fought to enforce the Canarian jurisdiction when they questioned it from Madrid. We owe Lorenzo Olarte the Canary Islands of today. I say goodbye to the president, colleague and teacher. My condolences to his family and friends," he wrote Pin on your X social network account.
The Government of the Canary Islands has declared three days of official mourning in the Autonomous Community for the death of former president Lorenzo Olarte Cullen. From today, Saturday, until next Tuesday, the flags of all public centers dependent on the Autonomous Community will fly at half-mast.
Political parties have joined in the expressions of regret.
The PSOE Canarias has mourned the loss of Olarte, "an outstanding public servant", and has conveyed its condolences and a big hug to his family and friends.
The Canary Coalition has stated that this is "very sad news" and highlights that his contribution to the Canary Islands "will always remain alongside the legacy of what he did for this land." "Strong defender of the Canary Islands. We stay with that, with his fight, the one that allowed us to build what we are today," highlights the nationalist party.
The funeral chapel will be at the headquarters of the Presidency of the Government in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The wake hours will be today, Saturday, from 4:30 p.m. to 12:00 a.m., and tomorrow, Sunday, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the funeral mass will be celebrated tomorrow around 5:00 p.m.
