Battle For Tagomago.

Kuhn Villa On Tagamago

While the Blog will deal with Ibiza 2014 in a much more detailed fashion in the coming months, Ibiza 2015, looks set to be a defining year for the island and its people. While the crude drilling for oil in the Gulf Of Valencia is a real and present danger, there is a much closer menace that threatens the fragile soul of Ibiza. The wanted destruction of the islands natural beauty in favor of financial gain, is a war that must not be lost, or else her beauty will be cast under a wall of concrete that suffocates the very essence of nature. The small islands that dot the coast of Ibiza are the gatekeepers and guardians of its true identity. An identity that is soft in innocence, but tough in existence. A windswept outpost that reminds us that nature can be cruel but precious at the same time. The fight to protect the small island of Tagomago off the east coast of Ibiza, will be one of the big political issues that will play out in 2015.

The people of Ibiza are vehemently opposed to what is happening on Tagomago. To many it represents a step too far by corporate interests to destroy a fragile ecosystem that protects the endangered and weak. If the concrete bricks and commercial stalls are allowed to stand on Tagomago, they will become a monument of disrespect. While the people of Ibiza are warm and welcoming in their nature, an insult to culture can raise a steely response. The arrogant and filibustering manner displayed by the foreign owners of Tagomago and supported by the islands government, surely goes against everything that Ibiza stands for – equality, freedom and respect. Some people seem to have lost direction in life, because anybody that truly cares for the island would not allow anything to harm it. Elections take place in Ibiza next year and it will be interesting to see what transpires.

The Tagomago controversy is sure to galvanise a groundswell of anti-corporate support that will hopefully end the exploitation of the islands fragile natural resources. If it was not for the efforts of the local environmental group GEN, Ibiza would be lost by now. They were the first to alert Ibiza to the controversial development of Tagomago in the early 80’s when the present Villa was in the process of “refurbishment”. To date there has been no political will to knock it down, unlike the infamous Michael Cretu mansion which was demolished in 2009 after a Spanish court found its construction was illegal. If the left win a majority of support in the next election, (they are favorites to do so) the Kuhn Villa and its upmarket Chiringito may be facing demolition as it seriously threatens the sanctuary of the small island. They say everything has a price in Ibiza but integrity should not and the island needs to employ a lot more moral principles before it sells its soul to corporate greed. Ibiza can ill afford to loose, the battle for the small island of Tagomago.