Mayor Mario Jiménez addresses the Diputación de Málaga council meeting, in a slot allocated for the purpose called «La Tribuna de Alcaldes» (the Mayors’ Platform), to demand the reopening of the service and to offer institutional collaboration, accompanied by residents and representatives from across the local political spectrum, with the exception of the Partido Popular. The Town Hall provided a bus for members of the public to attend the event in Málaga, where around 15 people, including the mayor himself, who chose to travel on the bus with his neighbours, took part in this protest in defence of such an essential service.
Manilva Town Hall conveyed this Wednesday its outright rejection of the closure of the fire station to the Diputación Provincial de Málaga council meeting, on a day that reaffirmed the discontent of local people and the institutional unity of the municipality in the face of the measure adopted by the Consorcio Provincial.
Jiménez spoke in the plenary session to defend the right to safety of the residents of the municipality and of the whole area, calling for respect for an area that, he recalled, triples its population in summer, increasing the risk in emergencies.
A protest with an outstretched hand
During his speech, the mayor stressed several key points:
- His concern for public safety, considering the closure a serious step backwards.
- The Town Hall’s institutional commitment, which has shown its willingness both to build a new fire station and to remedy the shortcomings of the current one.
- The request that Manilva, Casares and the areas at the western end of the province not be treated as «second-class citizens».
- The complaint that the closure was carried out without alternatives and without respect for the affected municipalities.
Jiménez stressed that Manilva is not against new infrastructure, but demands that the current fire station remain operational until the new one is built and functioning.
Institutional and local support… except the PP
The council meeting was attended by the mayor of Casares, José Luis Villalón, as well as residents of Manilva, representatives of the local governing team of Compromiso and Con Andalucía, and members of the PSOE and VOX municipal groups, who give their full support to these demands for the safety of residents.
The absence of the Partido Popular was conspicuous and was pointed out as a lack of involvement in an issue that directly affects the safety of thousands of residents.
Manilva Town Hall maintains its offer of dialogue and collaboration, but does not rule out taking legal action if the situation is not reversed. The legal route, as already announced in previous days, remains on the table in defence of the general interest of the municipality.
