Municipal spokesperson, Cristina Cutanda, defended the council's position this Tuesday, emphasizing that they are not acting "against any 'hoguera'", but rather their priority is to ensure the overall festival, its balance, and the protection of the Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC). According to Cutanda, the origin of the recently adopted measures stems from a requirement by the Generalitat to guarantee the compatibility of the festive activity with the preservation of the BIC.
The Hoguera Alfonso el Sabio commission has expressed its desire to 'plantà' in the Special category and to install a third 'racó' and a market. The spokesperson clarified that the Alicante City Council does not oppose any of these requests but insists on the need to respect safety regulations, compatibility with official acts, and balance among the different commissions.
“"No commission can grow at the expense of generating conflicts or saturation in the festival."
One of the key points of disagreement centers on space. Cutanda stressed that the claim regarding the occupation of certain areas cannot be resolved unilaterally, as it is an issue that must be addressed within the Federació de les Fogueres, the entity responsible for distributing the districts. Furthermore, any occupation outside the assigned district requires prior consensus.
Since August and September, the City Council has maintained a dialogue to study alternatives, always with the non-negotiable condition of respecting safety and not harming other 'hogueras'. Regarding the possibility of 'plantà' in the Special category, Cutanda detailed that the festival ordinance approved in 2022 establishes a safety radius of 12 meters for this category, in addition to 1.5 meters of accessibility as per the plan developed with Cocemfe and the Federació. If the Hoguera Alfonso el Sabio complies with these regulations, it will be able to 'plantà' in the Special category.
