Joaquín Ordóñez, mayor of Loja, has stated in an interview with GranadaDigital that bureaucracy and delays in the arrival of European funds are preventing the completion of significant projects. Among these, the rehabilitation of the Alcazaba de Loja and its walls stands out, a work that, according to the mayor, will not be completed by the established deadline of May 31.
“"Projects are left unfinished or half-done because neither Europe nor the Government of Spain are capable of extending the deadline for the use of these funds."
The first alderman also addressed the management of damages caused by early-year rains, highlighting the swift action of the Junta de Andalucía on the Ventorros de San José road. However, he noted that the Loja City Council had to undertake urgent repairs of municipal roads, such as Los Gallombares, which the Diputación has now committed to converting into a highway.
Regarding investment, the Junta de Andalucía will allocate over 500,000 euros for rural roads and has granted 275,000 euros for the repair of buildings in Loja's 21 districts. Ordóñez thanked the support of local companies, such as Grupo Desnivel, which initially covered the costs of evacuating families affected by the risk of a rockfall.
The mayor emphasized the importance of Loja's historic center, considering it the essence and heart of the municipality. He insisted on the need for greater investment from the State and Europe to protect this heritage, especially in housing rehabilitation. Among future projects, he mentioned the creation of an Olive Oil Museum in the Pacíficos building with European funds and the relocation of the municipal library to the former furniture store building.
Finally, Ordóñez called on administrations to make the deadlines for using European funds more flexible, preventing well-intentioned projects from remaining unexecuted due to bureaucratic slowness. He shared his concern with other mayors, such as Armando Moya of Salar, about the impact of this situation on heritage conservation.
