The Association of Housewives, Aico and the Scout Horizons Group are still active 40 years later "as an example and incentive for the association"
Benidorm celebrates the Constitution by handing out the Corporate Medal to the associations created during years of the transition
Toni Pérez emphasizes that "no political process can end up being an alibi or a unilateral cut-off to violate the foundations of our democracy"
Benidorm has celebrated the fortieth anniversary of the Spanish Constitution with an institutional act held in the Plaça de la Senyoria in which the City's Corporate Medal has been awarded to the three associations created in Benidorm during the years of the Transition (1976, 1977 and 1978) the Association of Housewives, Consumers and Users; the Independent Association of Merchants (Aico); and the 'Horizontes' Scout Group.
In addition to the members of the Municipal Corporation in full, the event was attended by the regional deputy, Manuel Perez Fenoll, the Icelandic consul, Juan José Campus, members of the State Security Forces and bodies and representatives of associations and entities citizens of Benidorm.
The event was attended by a large audience and the mayor, Toni Pérez, underlined the importance and meaning of the Constitution before congratulating and paying tribute to the three associations founded in Benidorm during the years of the political transition in which the Magna Carta was drafted. After the raising of flags, the mayor handed over the city's corporate medals to Jaime Pérez, coordinator of the Horizontes de Benidorm Scout Group; Raúl Parra, president of Aico and Vicenta Pérez, president of the Association of Housewives.
Toni Pérez highlighted the role played by all of them as "a fundamental element for the cohesion and the structuring of society, also to channel citizen participation", and stressed that with this Corporate Medal, the work and career of three entities born is recognized in the first years of the Democratic Transition, which are still active in the city where they were born.
In reference to the three associations the mayor stressed that "in all this time, his work and his proposals have been an example and an incentive to promote the association in Benidorm. There is a common denominator in all of them, -has added-, to build the best Benidorm; whether promoting solidarity or volunteering, the development and improvement of the commercial and business fabric, the enjoyment of leisure and free time or promoting training and healthy and cultural habits, contributing to make us all more supportive, more inclusive, more prosperous . His activity, he added, has transcended the borders of his own interests and has helped us to be a better society. " At the end of his speech the mayor reiterated his congratulations to the three associations "in their own name, the municipal corporation and the entire town of Benidorm, for the work and action they have displayed in our city during these forty years of democracy, of coexistence and progress for our country, with the wish that they continue their work for many more years "
He also made a broad reference to the meaning of the Constitution adopted in 1978 "fundamental symbol of the will of consensus of the people," he said, and reiterated that "our autonomous model is very valid and continues to retain an extraordinary potential to face the new realities of the present and the future "and added that this" autonomous framework is also susceptible to improvement but, in my opinion, never endangering our territorial cohesion. Any political and ideological option is legitimate if it pursues its objectives through democratic, peaceful and law-abiding means, "he said, adding that" no political process can end up being an alibi or a unilateral cut-off to violate the foundations of our democracy. . Nobody expects us, "he concluded," that we look the other way while putting in danger what has been built in these forty years and less if it transits outside the law. "