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"Belief, and the Will to Win"
OPL - Movimento Patriótico/Patriotic Movement
Publicado desde 12 de Setembro de 2001/Published since 12th September 2001
Links/Ligações:
A Polémica da Ponte Nossa Senhora da Ajuda, Alentejo, Portugal
Territórios Portugueses (em azul) de Olivença and Vila Real (Alandroal) ocupados ilegalmente pela Espanha
ENGLISH
OLIVENÇA INTERNATIONAL DISPUTE
A PORTUGUESE TERRITORY ILLEGALLY OCCUPIED BY SPAIN
13-11-2002 - Panorama (Gibraltar)
OLIVENÇA FORUM CONGRATULATES CARUANA
Following the result of the Referendum, the Olivença Forum has sent a letter to Gibraltar's Chief Minister, Peter Caruana, to congratulate him, "on the great turnout by the population of the Rock", and the "clear, unquestionable way" the people of Gibraltar have rejected the proposed co-sovereignty negotiations between the United Kingdom and Spain.
Also in the letter, the Forum Olivença take the opportunity to thank the Chief Minister for the reference about Olivença that he made on the BBC programme "Newsnight", last April, in which he defended Portugal's right to claim that territory.
Distinguishing "the historic and legal differences between the two situations", this association, "has denounced the intolerable incoherence and hypocrisy by Spain that claims territorial integrity when it comes to Gibraltar, but continues to violate Portuguese territorial integrity in its illegal occupation of Olivença".
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Letter from Lisbon -- Alison Roberts on a Territorial Claim Revived
(Friday, 08 March, 2002, 14:07 GMT)
Portuguese campaigners have publicly accused Spain of hypocrisy in seeking to reclaim Gibraltar from the UK while retaining a piece of land annexed from Portugal 200 years ago. The town of Olivença -- Olivenza in Spanish -- and 600 square kilometres of surrounding territory remains in Spanish hands, although according to the Portuguese campaigners Spain pledged to give it back as long ago as 1817.
History professor Humberto de Oliveira is president of the Grupo de Amigos de Olivença - the Friends of Olivença - which recently stepped up its campaign for the return of the disputed territory. When European Union foreign ministers gathered in the Spanish town of Caceres, it sent each of them a letter in their national languages condemning Spain's continued occupation of Olivença and the surrounding area as an "unacceptable violation of international law".
The group argues that, while Spain claims sovereignty over Gibraltar despite recognising the 1709 Treaty of Utrecht that granted it to Britain, Portugal's claim to Olivença is bolstered by accords such as the 1815 Treaty of Vienna, ratified by Spain.
Spain had annexed the town in 1801 at a time of Portuguese weakness. Spain was then allied with France, which under Napoleon was seeking to squeeze Britain by forcing Portugal to close its ports to British ships. But after Napoleon's defeat, treaties such as the one forced on Portugal by Spain were declared void.
Portugal never got Olivença back, but it's never given up its claim. Its 1976 constitution is worded accordingly - describing Portugal as comprising "territory historically defined". The relevant stretch of the frontier remains unmarked.
But if Portugal has always made sure not to undermine its legal claim to Olivença, it's done little to promote it. The need to maintain good relations with its larger neighbour has, if anything, increased since EU membership for both has sent trade and cross-border investment soaring.
As a result, it's been left to groups like the Amigos de Olivença to keep the cause alive. The relaunch of negotiations on Gibraltar has given them a stick with which to beat Spain. They accuse it of hypocrisy in seeking to reclaim Gibraltar, and in hanging on to Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa, when it's failed to hand back Olivença. And, they say, if Spain is unconcerned about the effect on relations with the UK of pressing its claim to Gibraltar, why doesn't Portugal press its claim?
The Portuguese campaigners acknowledge that, if asked, Olivença's residents would want to stay with Spain, but that this is the result of two centuries of repression and migration. For most of that period, Portuguese was banned, yet even now many people are fluent. Often they speak Portuguese at home and Spanish in public.
Unsurprisingly, the issue of Olivença has always loomed larger in Portugal than in Spain, which is happy with the status quo. But last year's 200th anniversary of the annexation triggered interest, bringing a gaggle of journalists down from Madrid. Their view of the subject was not always disinterested, and the local historian who showed me around town that day - not a native of Olivença but an enthusiastic promoter of its Portuguese architectural heritage - practically broke into a run every time we saw them.
Like many residents, he didn't want to get used by one camp or another. But he was delighted that Olivença and its magnificent monuments - which aren't mentioned in many guidebooks about Spain - were getting some attention.
For Europe Today, this is Alison Roberts in Lisbon.
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Portugal Fights for the Final Frontier
By Isambard Wilkinson in Olivenza, (Filed: 23/02/2002)
OLIVENZA is a quiet place where old men pace the main square surrounded by white-washed buildings dating back to Portugal's 500-year control of the area. But it is one of the last disputed frontiers in western Europe.
For this community is part of Spain - as is a 200-sq-mi area of rolling open country around it. Eight miles away, the river Guadiana acts as the de facto border, but it is acknowledged by only one side. There is a sign welcoming travellers to Spain on one bank, but none greeting visitors to Portugal.
The Portuguese have never acknowledged Spanish sovereignty over the region. Campaigners spurred on by Spain's apparent progress in pursuing its claim on Gibraltar say the Spanish position is hypocritical.
According to Mario Rodrigues, a leading member of the Group of Friends of Olivenza, the fact that most inhabitants are Spanish is irrelevant. "Most of the inhabitants are Spanish colonists planted over the past two centuries," he said.
"Spain says the will of the Gibraltarians is not important; we say the same thing about Olivenza."
His group of 500 people is one of three Portuguese organisations dedicated to winning back Olivenza. Although the government is not directly involved in the campaign, Lisbon funds Portuguese classes for Olivenza's residents.
Spain took Olivenza from Portugal in 1801. Mr Rodrigues said: "Spain signed a treaty in 1817 acknowledging totally and unconditionally the rights of Portugal. But the Spanish state has never honoured the commitment."
Official Portuguese maps do not mark the border in the area. Two bridges across the Guadiana symbolise the dispute. A 15th century fortified structure lies in ruins after being destroyed in one of the many wars between the countries. Until the second bridge was completed two years ago, people heading for Portugal had to travel 20 miles north to cross the river.
Fearing that it would amount to an acknowledgement of the border, Portugal refused to build the new bridge until the European Union agreed to fund it. Last year Portugal stopped Spain from restoring the old bridge for similar reasons.
Spain ridicules the Portuguese claim. The regional president of Extremadura recently dismissed it as "the work of a handful of lunatics".
In the same way that Gibraltarians want to remain British, the 11,000 residents of Olivenza have no wish to return to Portuguese sovereignty.
"The town was Portuguese. Those are our roots but it was a long time ago. Our culture has changed. The next generations speak Spanish," said Jose Emilio Senaron, 64.
His friend Raimundo Marredo, 71, added: "This town will never be Portuguese. Why not? Because we don't want it."
Informação OlivençaNet - DAILY TELEGRAPH
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14/Feb/2002 - Gibraltar Chronicle
SPAIN PRESSED TO GIVE OLIVENCA BACK TO PORTUGAL
Portuguese campaigners are pressing Spain to return the town of Olivenca and its surrounding territory to Portugal after two centuries of occupation, accusing Spain of 'hypocrisy' in claiming Gibraltar.
The town has 10,000 inhabitants and owns 200 square miles of land south of Badajoz and Portugal's claim to Oliven‡a is founded on treaties signed by European powers, in particular the 1815 Treaty of Vienna ratified belatedly by Spain. But according to campaigners writing to European Union foreign ministers, Spain has never honoured this claim.
Humberto de Oliveira, the group's president, cited Spain's determination to keep Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa as further proof of its "hypocrisy".
"While Spain is pressing Britain on Gibraltar, it has an unresolved issue with Portugal that is a much greater violation of international law," he said.
After the 1974 Revolution, Portugal was keen to develop relations with its newly democratic neighbour. With relations between the two countries improving vastly in recent years, Portugal is reluctant to upset its larger neighbour for the sake of 10,000 or so people who nowadays speak more Spanish than Portuguese.
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PANORAMA - Gibraltar - 12/02/2002
Portuguese Tell Spain: Give Us Back Olivença
SPAIN'S attempts to reclaim Gibraltar have been condemned as hypocrisy by Portuguese campaigners, who are demanding the return of the town of Olivença and surrounding territory. They claim the area has been occupied by the Spanish for 200 years.
In an open letter to European Union foreign ministers, the campaigners condemned Spain's continued occupation of Olivença (Olivenza in Spanish) and more than 200 square miles of territory south of Badajoz as an "unacceptable violation of international law", reports The Times.
The Portuguese campaigners believe Madrid has adopted different legal positions towards Gibraltar and Olivença. "Spain signed that treaty on May 7, 1817, and acknowledged, totally and unconditionally, the rights of Portugal," the Grupo de Amigos de Olivença (Group of Friends of Olivença) said in its letter to EU ministers. "After two centuries have elapsed, the Spanish state - whose representative is among you - has never honoured the commitment assumed internationally."
Humberto de Oliveira, the group's president, cited Spain's determination to keep Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa as further proof of its "hypocrisy".(12.02.02)
Ceuta and Melilla are different, says Spanish government With Morocco stepping up its claim to the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, the Spanish government has said that they bear no relation to the Gibraltar issue.
The Moroccan foreign minister Mohamed Benaissa has described the two Spanish cities on the Moroccan coast as 'Moroccan cities occupied by Spain' and urged negotiations in the same way that Britain and Spain are talking about Gibraltar, which Spain claims.
Spanish government spokesmen have retorted that Ceuta and Melilla are 'Spanish'. The Spanish defence minister Federico Trillo described the statement by the Moroccans as 'a joke in bad taste'. Trillo's argument is that both Ceuta and Melilla are Spanish and have developed as such and that Spaniards live there.
He added that they are part of Spain's national territory as stipulated in the Spanish Constitution.
Relations between Spain and Morocco soured last October over other matters, with Rabat withdrawing its ambassador. Trillo has hastened to say that military relations between the two countries are 'splendid'. (12.02.02)
http://www.panorama.gi/
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February 11, 2002 - The Times, London
Spain Accused of Gibraltar Hypocrisy
FROM ALISON ROBERTS IN LISBON
SPAIN'S attempts to reclaim Gibraltar have been condemned as hypocrisy by Portuguese campaigners, who are demanding the return of the town of Olivença and surrounding territory. They claim the area has been occupied by the Spanish for 200 years.
In an open letter to European Union foreign ministers, the campaigners condemned Spain's continued occupation of Olivença (Olivenza in Spanish) and more than 200 square miles of territory south of Badajoz as an "unacceptable violation of international law".
The Portuguese campaigners believe Madrid has adopted different legal positions towards Gibraltar and Olivença. Spain claims sovereignty over Gibraltar despite recognising the 1709 Treaty of Utrecht that granted it to Britain, but Portugal's claim to Olivença is founded on treaties signed by European powers, in particular the 1815 Treaty of Vienna ratified belatedly by Spain.
"Spain signed that treaty on May 7, 1817, and acknowledged, totally and unconditionally, the rights of Portugal," the Grupo de Amigos de Olivença (Group of Friends of Olivença) said in its letter to EU ministers. "After two centuries have elapsed, the Spanish state - whose representative is among you - has never honoured the commitment assumed internationally."
Humberto de Oliveira, the group's president, cited Spain's determination to keep Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa as further proof of its "hypocrisy". He said: "While Spain is pressing Britain on Gibraltar, it has an unresolved issue with Portugal that is a much greater violation of international law."Governments have consistently maintained Portugal's claim to the disputed area; it is the only part of the frontier with Spain not marked by border posts, and Lisbon always takes care not to do anything to jeopardise its legal position.
In 1801, when Napoleon was applying an economic squeeze on Britain, his then ally Spain occupied Olivença and surrounding villages, together with other towns in the Alentejo region. Spain later returned these other towns, but annexed Olivença under a treaty signed by Portugal under duress. In a separate treaty with Napoleon, Portugal pledged to close its ports to British ships and pay protection money to France, which nevertheless invaded in 1807. After Napoleon's defeat, the victors declared null and void treaties concluded by countries concerned before the war. At the Congress of Vienna all parties undertook to restore Olivença to Portugal. Spain failed to keep its promise, European powers never held her to it, and Portugal has shown reluctance to press the point.
Things changed little after the 1974 Revolution, when Portugal was keen to develop relations with its newly democratic neighbour. With relations between the two countries improving vastly in recent years, Portugal is reluctant to upset its larger neighbour for the sake of 10,000 or so people who nowadays speak more Spanish than Portuguese.
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Gibraltar and Olivenza: The Spanish Hypocrisy
11 November 2001The Spanish position on Gibraltar is completely hypocritical and represents a shameful contradiction to what the Madrid Government affirms about Ceuta and Melilla. It is totally unacceptable that the Spanish Government demands Gibraltar and at the same time continues to occupy Olivença, a parcel of Portuguese territory that Spain occupies since 1801 and that in 1815 pledged to return to Portugal. Spain wants to recover Gibraltar, territory that is juridically British by the Treaty of Utrecht (1713), but does not return Olivença and still continues wanting to keep Ceuta and Melilla in Morocco and the enclave of Llivia in French territory. As shameful as this contradiction, is the attitude of Tony Blair in accepting to negotiate with Spain the future of Gibraltar. The United Kingdom cannot agree with this scandal. The people of the United Kingdom and Gibraltar must to repudiate for good the treason of the English government and this Spanish hypocrisy.
Dr Mário Rodrigues
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The Front Page Online - MAIN - 04/12/1999 - THE NEWS WEEKLY - PORTUGAL'S WEEKEND NEWSPAPER IN ENGLISH
Army Refutes Spanish Occupation of Olivença
A stretch of the border between Portugal and Spain has remained undefined for two centuries. Portuguese diplomats have publicly stated that the town of Olivença, annexed in 1801 by the Spanish, is irrelevant. The Portuguese military on the other hand, has refused to demarcate the border.
"Portugal's lost town", is how THE NEWS described Olivença in September. Two months later, the Portuguese Defence Force's Geographical Institute (IGE) has declined to draw the geographical line between Portugal and Spain where this town is situated, leaving a huge void along the border which divides the two countries..The geographical omission by the Defence Force has been justified by the fact that Olivença is a Portuguese territory occupied by the Spanish and no lines will be drawn until Portugal wins the battle the Vienna Treaty said it had 180 years ago..Manuel Couto, Lieutenant-Colonel, and a director of the IGE, said the "border has still to be drawn up because it is not recognised" in its current state. "The Foreign Affairs Ministry is still looking for a solution to the impasse.
As Spain should have already returned the territory, in terms of International Law, it is being treated as an occupation"..In reality, the Government has admitted the validity of this political interpretation, but adds sedately, "this question has long ceased being a priority of Portuguese diplomacy.".Manuel Couto cautions: "Even marking a simple line implies that the border passes somewhere there (between Elvas and Olivença), which is not true"..
The history of the town starts in 1297 when Olivença was recognised as being Portuguese. In 1668, the year during which a treaty was signed putting an end to the Restoration Wars, Portugal is allowed to maintain the borders it had with Spain prior to the outbreak of the war. In 1709, following the Spanish Royal Succession War, the Olivença bridge is destroyed..Spain, ably assisted by Napoleon, invades Portugal in 1801. The town of Olivença is captured together with numerous other regions in Portugal. During the same year, the treaty of Badajoz is signed, whereby Portugal agrees to relinquish Olivença..
In 1807, the Fontainbleau Treaty between France and Spain signals the beginning of their occupation of Portugal, breaching the Badajoz Peace Treaty in the process..In 1810, Great Britain offers its support to Portugal to recuperate Olivença. A year later Portuguese reoccupy Olivença..Spain agree to sign the Vienna Treaty in 1817, after Napoleon's defeat, recognising Portugal's inherent rights over the territory.
Several attempts during this century have failed to readdress the situation, with Spain refusing to hear any talk on Olivença, and Portugal refusing to talk about it either..This week, Rondão Almeida, Mayor of Elvas, (the closest Portuguese town to the Portuguese town in Spain), revealed that construction of a bridge between the two towns is currently being delayed by a lack of cooperation from the Spanish authorities.
From Elvas to Olivença, construction on the bridge crossing the Guadiana river is on schedule. Coming from Olivença, the bridge is reminiscent of the structure destroyed several centuries ago..Side-stepping any controversial issues, the Mayor explained that the delay is only "momentarily", but admitted to having no idea when the Spanish would commence on work linking the two Portuguese towns.
Meanwhile, Spain remains adamant that its African town (Ceuta) is in Spain, that Gibraltar is in Spain and that Olivença is too..António Champalimaud was impeded by the Government to deal with the Spanish under his terms. The pro-Portuguese stance occupied in the world of stocks and shares, was justified citing "prudential" and "national" interests. Olivença is apparently neither a prudential nor a national interest of Portugal.
For further information on Olivença contact: "Amigos de Olivença" at www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/2382/indexx.html
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Panorama 22/11/99
Spain's own "Gibraltar" in Portugal
Exiting Portugal through the Badajoz frontier post, we all invariably take the main road down to Gibraltar. However, one of the minor roads would take you to Olivença, Spain's "Gibraltar" in Portugal. Say the Portuguese: "If Spain claims from Britain the devolution of Gibraltar, a territory with an area of less than 6 square kilometres, what is the reason why Portugal should not demand the return of Olivença, 125 times bigger than Gibraltar, over which there exist no doubts about Portugal's rights?"
A long stretch of frontier, going down kilometre after kilometre, is not recognised by the Portuguese in their official maps. Olivença has been under Spanish control since 1806 but this has never been recognised by Portugal.
Now and again, the problem arises in newspaper reports like a recent one in Spain where the Spanish mayor says: With the disappearance of frontiers in the European Union, it seems anachonic to claim this territory.
Using the same logic, it would appear equally anachonic that Spain should be claiming Gibraltar!
Where is Olivença?
Olivença is about 24 kilometres south of Badajoz, almost triangular in shape, sited to the left of the river Guadiana. It's population - now Spanish - is of about 11,000 inhabitants in a total area of 750 sq kms.
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Front Page Online - MAIN - 21/08/ 1999 - THE NEWS WEEKLY - PORTUGAL'S WEEKEND NEWSPAPER IN ENGLISH
Portuguese Town "Illegally" Occupied by Spain
Despite this situation having existed in Olivença for almost two centuries, the "Friends of Olivença" now plan to mount a new campaign in an attempt to secure the return of that town to Portuguese sovereignty. The group plans to involve the international press and other media and to bring back into the public eye the unresolved issue. They point out that Spain is defying an international treaty, which specifically names Olivença, and rules that the town should be returned to Portugal.
The terms of the Vienna Treaty, signed in 1815 after Napoleon's overthrow and agreed to by both Spain and Portugal, recognised the Portuguese sovereignty over the town, urging Spain to return the town to its rightful owners. However today, Olivença is found 13 kilometres east from the Portuguese border and Spain claims that the town is theirs.
The "Friends of Olivença" have pointed out to THE NEWS that Spain has a "colony" which by law belongs to Portugal. The town of Olivença is a one square kilometre enclave situated south of the Spanish city of Badajoz.
During the Portuguese/Moorish clashes in the 13th century, Portugal seized the town of Olivença from the Moors in 1228, erecting Portuguese structures, building roads and founding the first Church of Santa Maria Madalena, therefore establishing the primary foundation of a Portuguese Olivença.
In 1297, Portugal and Spain agreed to Portugal's sovereignty over Olivença. The town grew and functioned as a Portuguese town for centuries to follow.
During the Napoleonic wars, Portugal was invaded by Spanish and French troops, and in 1801, the warring countries signed the Treaty of Badajoz, where Portugal agreed to surrender its dominion over Olivença. In 1814 all the European nations affected by the Napoleonic wars, met in Paris declaring all treaties signed during and prior the war, null and void. The agreement was subsequently ratified at the Vienna Treaty in 1815. Spain, upon the recommendation of European states, signed the treaty, awarding the town back to Portugal.
According to the Friends of Olivença, Spain, as a signatory to the Vienna Treaty, never carried out their promise to Europe and Portugal. The Friends of Olivença also accuse the Portuguese government of being subservient towards Spain, and despite refusing to relinquish its jurisdiction over Olivença, the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been shying away from readdressing the issue with Spain.
The President of the Friends of Olivença, Mário Rui Simões Rodrigues, said to THE NEWS "despite the fact that Portugal has not denied the inherent rights it has over Olivença, Portugal remains silent about the issue", adding that the priority of his group is that Olivença "should be given the right of self-determination as the majority of Olivença's citizens want to return to the country (Portugal) to which it rightfully belongs".
Mário Rui Simões Rodrigues also explained that Spain recently attempted to "mislead" Portugal by enticing Portugal into signing "a cross-border bridge" agreement.
The accord was agreed to, though it was later annulled by the Portuguese government as the contractual term "cross-border" would have implied that Olivença exists outside of Portugal's jurisdiction.
Meanwhile Portugal remains disinterested in Olivença, while Spain appears to have concerns far more trivial to deal with. Comments from the Portuguese Foreign Ministry could (or not) be forthcoming after the summer holidays which are set to end in the near future.
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Spain Has Her Gibraltar, and Portugal Her Olivenza
Special to The New York Times
LISBON, Oct. 11 - A group of Portugueses have seized the Gibraltar issue to press claims for their own against Spain.
As Spain increases pressure for the return of tha British colony, Portugueses groups have launched a new campaign for the restoration of Olivenza, considered here to be a Spanish colony.
Olivenza is a town on the Portuguese-Spanish border, in the province of Badajoz. It belonged to Portugal until 1801.
The traditions and architecture of Olivenza are still strongly reminiscent of the Portuguese past. The 20.000 inhabitants of the town speak Spanish heavly laced with Portuguese words and phrases, celebrate religious festivals in the Portuguese manner with ballons and torches, and delight in Portuguese sweets.
Spaniards insist that if there were a plebiscite in Olivenza today, the majority of the population would vote to remain with Spain. But most Portuguese disagree.
So far, Portuguese attempts to regain Olivenza have been limited to moral pressure, stressing the Olivenza-Gibraltar parallel. The campaign has been waged by so-called Irredentists, defined as a group seeking restoration to its country of territory formely held. It derives from a party formed in Italy about 1878 to re-secure lands near the border, known as Italia irredenta, or unredeemed Italy.
The Lisboan Government intent on maintaining good relations with Madrid, has refrained from pushing the Olivenza issue. Also it would be awkward for Portugal to claim the Olivenza enclave after so hotly disputing India right to take over Portugal enclaves of Goa, Damão and Diu in 1961.
"The Friends of Olivenza." wich has taken the lead in the Irredentist campaign, says it has 2,500 members, mostly military men, historians and professors.
THE NEW YORK TIMES - Oct. 12 1969
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