A group of students from the Language Center of Casa Árabe in Madrid has sent a letter to the mayor of the capital, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, in which they request a meeting to “explore solutions” to avoid the eviction of the institution from the Escuelas Aguirre, where it has been headquartered for 20 years.
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In the open letter to the mayor, which Europa Press has accessed, this group of students emphasizes that the decision to evict Casa Árabe from its headquarters has generated “alarm and uncertainty” among students, teachers, workers, and supporters of the institution and raises concerns about the possible loss of courses and cultural offerings.
“Structural deficit of the building”
These students point out that the main reason Almeida cites to justify his decision is the “structural deficit of the building and the need to carry out works”; which, however, they consider can be done in any case without the need to evict workers or halt the center’s activity.
“We are convinced that the continuity of Casa Árabe is compatible with any reform or restoration work that must be carried out in the building,” the students stated, signing under the name Movimiento ‘Casa Árabe no se toca’.
Likewise, they insist that if the institution had been poorly managed by its previous directors, there are “sufficient control and supervision mechanisms” to address the matter. At the same time, they emphasize that if the Court of Auditors, or another entity, had detected irregularities, this should not be a reason to “call into question the work of Casa Árabe.”
1,400 students enrolled last year
The group reminds the mayor in their letter that, during last year, around 1,400 students enrolled in distance and in-person courses, while on the first day of enrollment for this academic year about 150 students had already registered.
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Additionally, they have highlighted the “important work” of Casa Árabe at the diplomatic level and in “promoting understanding between Arab countries and Spain.”
Given this, and referring to the meeting on July 27 with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares; and the previous appointment with the Director General of International Relations of the Madrid City Council, José Francisco Herrera, the student group has encouraged the mayor of the capital to follow their lead and hold a meeting with the students.
Casa Árabe exceeded on September 1 the final deadline given by the mayor to vacate the Escuelas Aguirre building based on the City Council’s decision to reclaim the property due to the building’s state of conservation, non-compliance with the terms of the lease, and the situation of Casa Árabe following reports from the Court of Auditors.
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Since the institution has not vacated its headquarters, Almeida has even acknowledged that he is considering requesting “judicial protection” to urge the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to convene the Governing Council of Casa Árabe to formalize the exit of the Community of Madrid from the consortium and allow the City Council to recover the property.
