The city of Gáldar experienced an emotional moment during its 544th Santiago Major Festivals with the proclamation delivered by local journalist Victorio Pérez Moreno. The event, held at the Guaires Cultural Center, paid tribute to his father, who was the theater's technician until his passing.
Supported by local authorities, including Mayor Teodoro Sosa and Councilor for Culture and Festivals Julio Mateo Castillo, Pérez Moreno shared personal experiences deeply connected to the festivals since his childhood. He recalled moments such as costumes made by his grandmother, carrying the flag of Santiago, serving as an altar boy, attending the Livestock Fair, and preparing carts.
The journalist emphasized the connection among the inhabitants of Gáldar, stating: “Probably, your experiences are linked to mine. That’s what this town has. We are all connected. We are all community. We are all proclimators.” He also highlighted his parents' teachings on the importance of coexistence and collaboration.
Pérez Moreno, whose 20-year career at Televisión Canaria was summarized in an audiovisual montage, stressed the strength of unity: “We are a people that is stronger united,” adding that “a single land fortunate enough to be separated by sea. If you place your hand on your chest, you will feel the beat of a single heart: Canarias.” He also presented a virtual recreation of Gáldar's transformation.
He encouraged participation in the festivals, declaring: “Participate in everything you can because that’s how the Santiago Festivals are made, that’s how a town is made. We need moments of community gathering. Silencing the noise, the insults, the hatred that appears in the world. With a feminist vision and without losing humanity. Thank you Gáldar for making me feel like a prophet in my own land,” he concluded.
Mayor Teodoro Sosa praised the proclamation’s simplicity and the journalist's career, highlighting that “success has never changed you” and calling him “an exemplary Gáldar resident.” He assured that his mother, Rita, and his father, Rivilla, would be proud, and that the proclamation succeeded in “awakening the memory of an entire town.”
Julio Mateo Castillo, first deputy mayor, recalled that these festivals prepare for the 2027 Jacobean Holy Year and thanked Pérez Moreno for “boasting about Gáldar” wherever he goes and for maintaining his simplicity, despite his fame in Canarias. He also thanked him for choosing the Guaires Cultural Center, which is special to his family.
The event began with a performance by Patricia Muñoz and concluded with the Official Anthem of the Royal City of Gáldar, “Un Bolero para Gáldar.” The complete program for the 544th Santiago Major Festivals is available on galdar.es and @ayuntamientodegaldar.
