CANARY ISLANDS, Spain — Spanish police have executed a major operation targeting Quorum Social 77, a non-governmental organization that has managed a vast network of centers for unaccompanied migrant minors in the Canary Islands. The raids, which took place early Thursday morning, included the NGO’s headquarters and five of its facilities across the archipelago, resulting in the arrest of the organization’s president and a prominent local political figure.
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The detained individuals include Delia García, the president of the entity, and Enrique Quintana, who served as the director of several of these centers and currently holds a position within the Social Action Secretariat of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) in the municipality of Gáldar, Gran Canaria. The operation comes just over a month after the organization became the center of a major controversy following the forced closure of one of its centers in Santa Brígida. That closure was triggered by an investigation into alleged abuse, which previously led to the detention of nine individuals.
According to law enforcement sources, the current investigation accelerated significantly after revelations that, following the outbreak of the scandal at the Santa Brígida facility, García allegedly ordered the deactivation of all video surveillance cameras across the other centers managed by the NGO. This action reportedly hindered any form of external oversight and raised immediate suspicions of an organized effort to conceal ongoing activities.
During the Thursday raids, investigators searched for documentation related to the management of public funds, as well as evidence of potential crimes including embezzlement, misconduct in public office, degrading treatment of minors, document forgery, and obstruction of justice. The entire investigation remains under strict judicial secrecy.
🔴 ÚLTIMA HORA | La Policía registra la sede de la ONG que más dinero ha recibido para gestionar centros de menas y detiene a su director, miembro del PSOE
— LA GACETA (@gaceta_es) July 24, 2025
Por Unai Cano (@unaicano10)https://t.co/Wlk2O8Mi1u
The scale of the organization’s public funding has drawn intense scrutiny. Between 2023 and March 2025, Quorum Social 77 managed a total of 31 centers, providing 1,925 placements for unaccompanied minors throughout the Canary Islands. During this period, the NGO received more than 131 million euros in public subsidies from the Canary Islands Government, which is currently administered by the CC-PP political coalition.
Prior to these arrests, the organization had already been flagged by civil rights groups and local media outlets. These entities had raised alarms regarding alleged irregularities in the care of minors, a lack of transparency in financial management, and the disproportionate allocation of public funds. Furthermore, current workers and former residents had previously reported precarious and inadequate living conditions within several of the facilities.
The arrest of García and Quintana marks a significant escalation in the case. Quintana’s dual role as a high-ranking NGO director and a municipal official within the Socialist Party has ignited fresh debate regarding potential political patronage. Critics are now questioning the adequacy of administrative controls and oversight mechanisms that allowed such extensive public contracts to be awarded and maintained without earlier intervention.
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As the judicial investigation continues under seal, authorities are expected to meticulously review financial records, internal communications, and facility conditions to determine the full extent of the alleged misconduct.
