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BRIDGE OF SHAME In 1990 at the Portuguese/Spanish summit, the governments of Portugal and Spain agreed on the building of a road bridge linking Elvas and Olivença, right next to the semi-derelict "Our Lady of Ajuda" bridge, as a cross border project. But this enterprise was situated in an area that, because of the (disputed) question of Olivença, remains unmarked between the two countries, and is not covered by the current border treaties dated from 1864 and 1926. The Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs annulled the agreement, having reached in 1994 a solution that safeguarded Portuguese rights over Olivença. Portugal would build the new bridge and rebuild the old one without Spanish participation. After a considerable number of difficulties and problems that did not reach the general public's notice, in October 1999, when the new bridge was being built, Spanish police unilaterally took over the site and occupied it for several days, alleging that the machinery had entered "Spanish territory"* ie. the Olivença territory... Once again, nothing was made public... In January 2000, a technical, mixed Portuguese/Spanish Commission met in Évora and agreed to cede the rebuilding of the old bridge to Spain, breaking a number of regulations and legal principles: it went against the 1994 agreement, by the simple decision of the meeting, having based it on an international convention which had not yet been ratified or officially published; as well as overriding what the Portuguese State has affirmed to be its position on Olivença and despising what the Portuguese Republic Constitution has established on the definition of national territory. Almost all attempts by numerous citizens and some associations to confirm the contents of the agreement proved fruitless. Government ministries and other public services that were contacted systematically refused to comply with the law which regulates public administration documents access, in a clear demonstration of what the State democratic rights is worth, which they declare we have... A complaint to the Attorney General of the Republic handed in in January 2001, did not make any known progress. Every attempt to find out any results proved useless, the very institution that should set an example of respect for lawfulness. Hundreds of memos and letters and dozens of petitions directed in the course of two years, to all bodies of government and numerous public institutions, to alert them to Spanish intentions and requesting their investigation, did not produce anything of practical effect. On 11 July this year an injunction was entered in a Lisbon Court requiring that the IPPAR (The Portuguese Institute for Architectural Heritage) should be prevented from issuing authorization to the Spanish government to rebuild the bridge and that the Portuguese State should not give Spain permission to go ahead with the project which could be seen as no more than an attempt under the guise of work of architectural restoration, to guarantee Spain its sovereignty over Olivença. On 15 July the court issued its reply to what we had asked, reaffirming all Portuguese rights over Olivença. It was necessary for a group of citizens to present a complaint against their own country, whose government finds acceptable ceding not only a national monument to a foreign power, but with that act alienate its rights to an area of 600Km2 (of national territory)... Under Spanish pressure, the "Government of Portugal"..is going to appeal against the ruling of the Portuguese court. The "Government of Portugal"..is stubbornly willing to give away to Spain power for that country to exercise an act of sovereignty over a national monument..The "Government of Portugal" seems to disagree with the decision of the court which declared that Olivença is clearly national territory!... Comments? It's for everyone to make his/her own!... (From Portuguese article by Mário Rodrigues)