The Council of Ministers approved this morning the renewal of the measure that guarantees that the aid received by the volcanic eruption of La Palma does not count as income or patrimony for the purpose of granting the general scholarships of the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports, the so-called MEC scholarships, which collaborate with families to cover the costs of post-compulsory studies (Baccalaureate, FP, University, Master). The Special Commissioner for the Reconstruction of La Palma, Héctor Izquierdo, stressed that this decision “consolidates a stable line of protection for palm students and their families in the recovery process, since it has been applied every year since the 2023/2024 academic year.”

The Special Commissioner for the Reconstruction of La Palma, Héctor Izquierdo, has visited one of the possible areas authorized for deep geothermal energy exploration on the island. The work on the ground, once the final awards distributed to six companies were known and much of the necessary administrative documentation resolved, would begin to be implemented in the coming months. “The potential of geothermal energy benefits us all: we would stop relying almost exclusively on oil – something of great value even more in the times that it does – and, unlike other renewables such as solar or wind, geothermal energy can produce electricity 24 hours a day, regardless of weather conditions,” he explained.

The Special Commissioner for the Reconstruction of La Palma, Héctor Izquierdo, today presented a commemorative plaque to the Military Emergency Unit (UME), in recognition of its commitment, professionalism and dedication during the emergency caused by the volcanic eruption and, especially, for its key role in the recovery tasks carried out in the following years.

The Special Commissioner for the Reconstruction of La Palma, Héctor Izquierdo, visited this morning the facilities of the former children's school of Tazacorte, where the adaptation works of the future Observatory of Marine Biodiversity and Blue Economy promoted by the state and autonomous consortium Platform Oceanic of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN) are progressing. Accompanied by the director of the entity, Joaquín Brito, the Commissioner was able to observe the pace of the work and the scope of a project that has recently been extended within the framework of Royal Decree-Law 13/2025, the last article of which extended several actions linked to the reconstruction of La Palma, including this scientific infrastructure.

The publication on Monday in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands of the order that resolves the subsidies of the Flight Development Program specifies the operating periods of the new direct international routes of La Palma, financed by the Ministry of Industry and Tourism (Government of Spain) through the Ministry of Tourism (Government of the Canary Islands).

The Commissioner for the Reconstruction of La Palma, Héctor Izquierdo, has visited banana plantations on the island that are in different stages of recovery. It thus verifies, in the first person, the needs of the sector, following the approval last November of Royal Decree-Law 13/2025, which allowed one hundred million of the surplus of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands to be used to finance mainly damage to agricultural land. “Reconstruction does not end with compensation; we must persist in supporting the needs of this sector, strategic for La Palma, to ensure its sustainability,” he said.

The Special Commissioner for the Reconstruction of La Palma, Héctor Izquierdo, has transferred to the new director of the National Geographic Institute (IGN), Laura Barbas, the strategic relevance of the ‘CO₂ Alert’ project, not only for La Palma, but as a tool to guarantee security and surveillance in volcanic eruptions. This initiative is being financed by the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility - on which the IGN depends - with a budget of 4.3 million euros. It has the collaboration of the Volcanological Institute of the Canary Islands (INVOLCAN), the Cabildo de La Palma and the Eduardo Torroja Institute of Construction Sciences (CSIC - Ministry of Science).

The prestigious British channel BBC has interviewed the Commissioner for the Reconstruction of La Palma within the framework of the program Canaries: The Travel Show, a space dedicated to show the world the attractions, the reality and the evolution of international destinations. During the conversation, the Commissioner highlighted the progress made after the volcanic eruption, the institutional commitment to the recovery of the island and the resilience of the palm tree society. The interview highlighted not only the process of urban and social reconstruction, but also the opportunity to transform La Palma into a benchmark for sustainability and future planning.

The Commissioner for the Reconstruction of La Palma, Héctor Izquierdo, has met with representatives of the Association of Packaging, Exporting and Marketing Entities of Fruits of La Palma (Asepalma) and the Palm Association of Farmers and Ranchers (ASPA) to analyze the state of the reconstruction of the agricultural sector, assess the impact of the investments made by the State and take note of the needs that the sector raises.

The Commissioner for the Reconstruction of La Palma participates in the IFEMA fair, Madrid Fusión 2026, through the brand 'Saborea La Palma', in a strategic commitment to gastronomy as a key axis for the social and economic recovery of the island and as a tool for promoting local product, gastronomic talent and territory.