The event will feature the participation of the author, Marta Saavedra, and the island president, Casimiro Curbelo, one of the key testimonies of the work.
The appointment will take place he Friday, March 20, at 7:00 p.m., in the Plenary Hall of the institution
The Plenary Hall of the Cabildo of La Gomera will be the scene, on Friday, March 20 at 7:00 p.m., of the presentation of the book 'Jerónimo Saavedra, the last hero'. A work written by Marta Saavedra that delves into the figure of who is considered the father of Canarian autonomy through a careful compilation of experiences and reflections.
The event will feature the presence of the author, who will share the details of a creative process forged over the last year through relaxed talks with fundamental figures in politics and culture. The president of the Cabildo of La Gomera, Casimiro Curbelo, will speak alongside her, whose personal testimony is part of the large group of personalities who have collaborated on the book to reconstruct Saavedra's legacy.
A choral portrait of the "father of autonomy"
The work, published by La Catarata, has a prologue by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and illustrations by María Luisa Hodgson. In its pages are collected the voices of figures of the stature of Felipe González, Alfonso Guerra, Javier Solana or Carolina Darias, among many other names that marked the recent history of Spain and the Canary Islands.
The book is not only an exercise in memory, but also a tribute to an unparalleled political career. Jerónimo Saavedra began his activism in the PSOE and the UGT in 1972 and, since his university days in La Laguna, he was one of the main promoters of the autonomous model for the islands.
A life dedicated to public service
Jerónimo Saavedra began his political career in 1972, the year in which he began his activism in the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) and the General Union of Workers (UGT). During his time at the University of La Laguna, where he served as secretary of the University Business Institute and director of the San Fernando College, he began to develop and promote the idea of autonomy for the archipelago. His leadership was quickly consolidated, being elected General Secretary of the Canary Socialist Party (PSC-PSOE) in 1977 and forming part of the first Constituent Cortes as a deputy for the province of Las Palmas.
As a central figure in Canarian politics, Saavedra held the presidency of the Government of the Canary Islands in two periods: from 1983 to 1987 and from 1991 to 1993. During his first term, he faced the challenge of consolidating the autonomous bodies in the face of island tensions, eventually forming the historic "Pact of Progress" with left-wing forces. His second stage in the presidency ended in 1993 after a motion of censure that would give rise to the first government of the Canarian Coalition.
His career also left a deep mark at the national level, holding the positions of Minister of Public Administrations and Minister of Education and Science during the last term of Felipe González. Subsequently, he continued his public work as a senator and became mayor of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria with an absolute majority in 2007, closing his institutional cycle as Deputy of the Common between 2011 and 2018.
Beyond his institutional profile, the book explores the most human and brave side of Saavedra. Member of the Grand Lodge of Spain and deeply linked to the islands of Gran Canaria and La Palma, where he spent his last years, Saavedra is remembered in this act and in this work as the authentic "father of Canarian autonomy."
"father of Canarian autonomy"
