The government delegate in Galicia, Pedro Blanco, highlighted today during the act of the 181st anniversary of the Civil Guard, held in the headquarters of the Command of Lonzas, that citizen security is an “essential good and a democratic right” and thanked the Civil Guard for its constant commitment to Galician society.
“We are fortunate to live in freedom and democracy in one of the safest communities in one of the safest countries in the world,” and this, he added, “is largely thanks to the tireless work of the Civil Guard and the National Police.” A
In the presence of the General Chief of the Civil Guard, Miguel Ángel González Arias, the Colonel Chief of the Command of the Civil Guard of A Coruña, Fernando Pedreira, and the Subdelegate of the Government in A Coruña, María Rivas, the delegate recalled that Galicia comes from being revalidated as the third safest Autonomous Community in Spain, with crime figures that are 15 points below the national average.
In this vein, he congratulated the Civil Guard for its work and appealed to the value of security as an essential asset for any free, fair and prosperous society. “Without security there is no freedom, there is no economy and there is no future, so defending security as the Civil Guard does is defending democracy,” he said during his speech.
Pedro Blanco also highlighted the Spanish Government’s effort to strengthen the Security Forces and Corps, which has made it possible to recover more than 14,300 Civil Guard and National Police personnel since 2018. The delegate celebrated that thanks to the commitment by the Ministry of Interior to establish personnel replacement rates higher than 100% “also in Galicia we have the highest figure in history in terms of personnel of the Civil Guard and the National Police, with around 9,300 operational agents”.
Pedro Blanco focused on the capacity of the Civil Guard to evolve with the times, without losing his body essence at the service of the citizens. He said that “fulfilling almost two centuries of life is only possible thanks to an institution capable of adapting to changing contexts and facing new challenges,” he said.
He specifically referred to the fight against cybercrime, crimes linked to the environment and the integral protection of women victims of gender violence, as areas in which the Civil Guard plays a key role.
“In Galicia, there are almost 6,000 women protected through the VioGén system and the Civil Guard is a fundamental pillar of this device with a silent but effective work,” he recalled.
Pedro Blanco also had words of recognition for the response capacity of the Civil Guard in emergency situations, such as the DANA, which affected the Valencian Community, where Galician agents moved, or the electric blackout of a month ago.
“The Civil Guard responded effectively, giving one more example of public service, vocation and commitment to citizenship,” he concluded.
Decorations and step to booking
Finally, during the event, 14 decorations were given to the guards distinguished by their service and trajectory.
Lieutenant Jesús Tobar Botana, the first capes César Pallares Gallego and Adrián Rodríguez Sánchez, and the civil guards Matilde Durán Fernández, Juan José Sana Lamas, Juan Carlos Escudero Vallejo, Juan Ignacio García Dobarro, Jesús Manuel García Ferro, Alain Campo Iglesias, Constantino Riveiro García, Alejandro Galán Fernández, Jorge Andrés González, Laura Sierra Hidalgo and Antonio Viaño Calviño received the medal.
Likewise, an emotional tribute was paid to the agents who move into the reserve situation, among which are the colonels Simón Venzal Contreras and Manuel Javier Nuevo Colldefors; the lieutenant colonel, Ricardo Turienzo Veiga; the lieutenant colonels, Víctor Manuel Leiva Rodríguez, and Faustino Pinilla Fortuoso; the second lieutenants, Francisco José Vaamonde Iglesias and Jorge Longueira Montero; the first sergeant, José Manuel Iglesias González; the first Corporal, Eduardo Pérez Meijiano, and the civil guards. The government delegate congratulated them “for everything you did, for everything you leave and for everything you represent”, thanking them for their “work in the service of democracy and citizenship”.