The national economic press daily 'Expansión' published in the paper edition and also online on Saturday, May 9, 2026, an in-depth interview with the Special Commissioner for the Reconstruction of the island of La Palma, Héctor Izquierdo. It analyses the actions in the field of social, economic and environmental recovery that have taken place since the eruption of the Tajogaite so that today, four and a half years since the catastrophe, has been achieved, paraphrasing the article itself "that La Palma begins to see the light".

The Eduardo Torroja Institute of Construction Sciences, belonging to the CSIC, is testing in Puerto Naos and La Bombilla an innovative system to reduce the accumulation of CO2 in homes and buildings affected after the volcanic eruption of La Palma. The project is carried out under the coordination of the Special Commissioner for the Reconstruction of La Palma and with the support of the island council. Its purpose is to make it easier for families to return home safely and in the shortest possible time.

The Special Commissioner for the Reconstruction of La Palma, Héctor Izquierdo, has held a working meeting with the Secretary of State for Youth and Children, Rubén Pérez Correa, with the aim of analyzing measures aimed at promoting the permanence of youth on the island and advancing demographic rejuvenation strategies. During the meeting, both parties agreed that the retention of talent is one of the main structural challenges of La Palma, accentuated after the volcanic eruption of 2021, which aggravated already existing problems such as youth emigration and the lack of job opportunities.

The Commissioner for the Reconstruction of La Palma, Héctor Izquierdo, met with researchers from the Institute of Catalysis and Petroleochemistry (ICP-CSIC), together with the head of the CO₂ Alert project of the National Geographic Institute (IGN), Carmen López, to learn first-hand about the progress of the state institution in terms of the capture and transformation of gases, one of the main challenges in La Palma after the eruption. This joint effort integrates first-level scientific knowledge with real needs of the territory, especially in areas such as Puerto Naos and La Bombilla, where the accumulation of CO₂ in soils and buildings continues to condition the safe return of the population.

The recent institutional visit to La Palma by the Mental Health Commissioner, Belén González, highlighted the importance of coordination between different areas of the Government in the recovery process of the island. In this context, the Special Commissioner for the Reconstruction of La Palma, Héctor Izquierdo, participated in the event evidencing the integration of reconstruction policies with attention to the emotional well-being of the population. The Day Centre and the Night Unit of San Andrés y Sauces, visited by the authorities, was valued and implemented with the investment of 1.5 million euros from the Ministry of Health, transferred through an agreement with the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands following the eruption of the Tajogaite volcano.

The Special Commissioner for the Reconstruction of La Palma, Héctor Izquierdo, has held a working meeting with representatives of the Official College of Social Graduates of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, headed by its dean, Adalberto Luis, as well as with the representatives of the agency in La Palma and the mutual collaborators with the Social Security responsible for the processing of benefits, the Island Director of the State Administration in La Palma, Carlos García and the president of the Island Council, Sergio Rodríguez.

The inauguration of the XVII Spanish Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism in the Insular Museum of La Palma was attended by outstanding authorities linked to the territorial planning and reconstruction of the island. Among them, the Special Commissioner for the Reconstruction of La Palma, Héctor Izquierdo, attended together with the Secretary General of Urban Agenda, Housing and Architecture, Iñaqui Carnicero.

The follow-up meeting of the Special Commissioner for the Reconstruction of La Palma, Héctor Izquierdo, with the Insurance Compensation Consortium, under the Ministry of Economy, has highlighted the decisive role of this institution in the recovery process of the island after the volcanic eruption. The meeting was attended by Mª Flavia Rodríguez-Pone, Director General, and Celedonio Villamayor, Director of Operations, who presented the progress made and the work in progress.

The Special Commissioner for the Reconstruction of La Palma, Héctor Izquierdo, values positively the application of the 60% deduction in the Personal Income Tax (IRPF) corresponding to the year 2025 for residents of the island of La Palma, whose campaign begins on April 8. In economic terms, Izquierdo highlights that the estimated impact of this deduction in 2025 amounts to 111 million euros, a figure significantly higher than the 78 million euros recorded in its first year of application, in 2022, which demonstrates “the growing capacity of this measure to generate economic activity and support reconstruction,” he explains.

The Special Commissioner for the Reconstruction of La Palma, Héctor Izquierdo, very positively values the start of the development in Spain of an innovative microchip capable of capturing photons individually, which will be installed at the Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory. This strategic technology places the island at the centre of international scientific research. It will be developed by the company Teledyne-Anafocus thanks to its own funds from the Centre for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI) and the cofinancing of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). It also has the supervision of the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IIA-CSIC) and validation at the Gran Telescope Canarias.