Canarian Authorities Block HV Hondius Disembarkation Amid Dispute with Madrid. The government of the Canary Islands did not allow the HV Hondius vessel to remain off the coast of Tenerife for more than 24 hours. Madrid insists on a 36-hour stay to wait for flights, but regional authorities see this as a threat to local residents.
The Canary Islands authorities have urgently blocked permission for passengers to disembark from the HV Hondius vessel, on board which hantavirus was detected. According to EL MUNDO's sources, the regional government refused to authorize the vessel's stay in the port of Granadilla if it exceeds 24 hours. The main argument is the safety of local residents: in the view of the Canary Islands authorities, an extended stay by a vessel with potentially dangerous passengers poses additional risks to the population.
Madrid insists on a 36-hour stay to await two planes scheduled to arrive on Monday to evacuate people. However, the Canary Islands government considers waiting for these flights unnecessary: passengers can be evacuated by other flights, and extending the vessel's stay only increases the threat. Eight hours before the HV Hondius was due to reach the coast of Tenerife, no permission for disembarkation had been granted, and the situation has drawn the attention of international media.
According to EL MUNDO's sources, no agreements on prolonging the stay were reached between central and regional authorities. The Canary government has repeatedly stressed that the vessel should remain by the island for the minimum possible time. The decision by regional head Fernando Clavijo has become a de facto ultimatum to Madrid: if the central government, led by Pedro Sánchez, ignores the ban and leaves HV Hondius off the coast of Tenerife for more than 24 hours, full responsibility for the consequences will rest with them.
In the evening, Health Minister Monica Garcia and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska tried to demonstrate control over the situation and assured that the operation to receive the vessel was fully prepared. However, during the briefing, Garcia conceded that the stay could be extended if necessary. This statement prompted new negotiations with regional authorities, who again refused to make concessions. As EL MUNDO notes, coordination between Madrid and the Canary Islands was called into question, despite assurances of close cooperation.
The situation with HV Hondius is not the first case where authorities have tightened security measures in Canary Islands ports due to infectious threats. Previously, as reported in the article about the implementation of isolation in the port of Tenerife, the Spanish government had already taken strict measures under similar circumstances. Now, however, the dispute between Madrid and the region has escalated against the backdrop of disagreements over the timing and conditions of passenger evacuation.
