The spokesperson for Aragón-Teruel Existe, Tomás Guitarte, intervened this Thursday on the occasion of the presentation of an appeal against the resolution of the General Directorate of Culture and Cultural Heritage that rejects starting the process to declare the Escucha Thermal Power Plant as a Good of Cultural Interest, or as a cataloged or inventoried good. "We understand that for the people of Teruel, the demolition would be a direct attack on their own identity and memory, which would amputate a part of this history that deserves to be maintained and protected," he pointed out.
This appeal is processed within the Administration itself, elevating it to the hierarchically superior body, so it is directed to the Minister of the Presidency, Mar Vaquero, "to give her the opportunity to rectify that decision which we understand is not properly founded or, at least, not founded on any technical or scientific criteria," he indicated.
The document highlights the existence of a technical report issued by the General Directorate of Heritage itself, clearly favorable to the declaration of the entire Escucha Thermal Power Plant as a Good of Cultural Interest, in the category of historical ensemble. "It is a very detailed report, commissioned by the same General Directorate, and whose conclusion is that for all the above, it considers it appropriate to declare the Escucha Thermal Power Plant as a Good of Cultural Interest, historical ensemble, as contemplated in Article 12 of the Aragonese Cultural Heritage Law."
For the deputy of Aragón-Teruel Existe, the content of the report is unequivocal and leaves no room for interpretation. "And yet, the General Directorate itself makes a decision in the opposite direction, which shows that it is a decision made for political reasons, not for heritage values."
Currently, "there are already personnel dedicated to the demolition in Escucha, "an attitude that we also understand as reckless, because that resolution is still not final. It is evident that it is not final because we have filed an appeal. Even after the appeal, other actions can be taken, judicial actions, but, basically, we do not want to judicialize."
Tomás Guitarte has insisted that "what we want is to give the opportunity to the counselor of the Presidency, Mar Vaquero, to make the resolution, because the technical reports from her own department add to all those that have already said that the heritage value is very important, like the College of Architects itself, like APUDEPA, like a multitude of heritage associations in Aragón and throughout Spain, like, for example, the Union of Heritage."
Aragón-Teruel Existe will formulate this Friday in the Plenary of the Cortes a question directed to the counselor along the same lines, "highlighting that there is no more basis for the resolution they made than a basis of political will. We want to know if she is going to rectify or if she wants the fact of having allowed the demolition of the Escucha Thermal Power Plant to weigh on her conscience throughout history," concluded the spokesperson.