Alfredo Herrera Piqué

Alfredo Herrera Piqué was born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in 1937. A historian, essayist and writer, he developed a career bringing together urban research, cultural journalism and political responsibilities. His work addresses the city, the heritage of the islands and the presence of travellers and naturalists in the Canary Islands. The annual report of the Fundación César Manrique describes sustained participation in the archipelago's cultural life, through administration, writing and public discussion linking different areas of knowledge.

His journalistic activity is documented from 1965. He edited the cultural magazine Aguayro from 1973 to 1991 and also directed the weekly Sansofé. Enrique Armando Perera García's research on the latter publication places Herrera in its second phase and examines his involvement in a regionalist editorial project during the final years of Franco's dictatorship. The thesis documents his appearance as interim editor in 1970 and gathers testimony about the weekly's direction. These editorial responsibilities belong to his career alongside contributions to the Canarian press.

Historical research forms another central strand of his work. His publications include La ciudad de Las Palmas, noticia histórica de su urbanización, published in 1978; Canarias, escala en la exploración científica de los continentes exóticos, from 1982; and Tesoros del Museo Canario, from 1990. These titles reflect complementary interests: the formation of the city, the connections between the islands and scientific travel, and knowledge of heritage collections. He also participated in the Coloquios de Historia Canario Americana, connecting his writing with a forum for exchange among researchers.

As a cultural administrator, he presided over El Museo Canario and served as regional minister of Culture in the Canary Islands Government. The sources consulted establish both responsibilities, although the complete dates of his museum presidency remain to be clarified. He represented Gran Canaria for the PSOE in the Senate during the third and fourth legislatures. His official parliamentary profile records his entry in July 1988 as the replacement for Juan Rodríguez Doreste and his participation in committees dealing with budgets, autonomous communities and interterritorial compensation.

In May 2007 he spoke at the Fundación César Manrique's Foro Archipiélago, delivering the lecture Pasión y aventura en la ciencia de las Luces. The report of the event records his defence of science and nature as components of culture and his interest in eighteenth-century scientific travellers. In 2008 the city council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria awarded him the title Hijo Predilecto, honouring a distinguished native of the city. The decision is preserved in the minutes of the council meeting held on 9 June.

In June 2019 he presented La Plaza Mayor Institucional de Santa Ana at the city hall. The municipal account records his comments on the urban space and its preservation. In 2023 the city council recalled the study he had prepared for the Vegueta-Triana heritage application submitted to the Ministry of Culture in 2007. His documented career thus combines historical writing, editorial work and participation in discussions about the heritage of the city.