OLIVENÇA and JUROMENHA: SPAIN CONTINUES TO OCCUPY AND
COLONIZE 750 km2 OF PORTUGUESE TERRITORY ILLEGALLY IN DEFIANCE OF INTERNATIONAL LAW
OLIVENÇA NEWSMay 2006
19 May 2006
20th May 2006
marks the 205th Anniversary
The “Friendly” Invasion
and Occupation of Olivença
Spanish cultural tentacles are once again extending
across the globe. It’s happening right now. Watch the effect it is already
having on the USA. The Spaniards are urgently pressing everywhere for “la
difusión internacional de la lengua española, así como en la promoción de la
cultura en español.” On this side of the pond, Portugal is under immense
pressure to accept Spain’s demands to have Castilian taught to all children
over the age of ten, and are tightening their economic grip. Meanwhile,
Portugal’s weakling politicians do little to lift the country up from its
heavy mantle of chronic corruption and get carried away by Spain’s merry dance
of greater ‘Iberian’ integration. Some things are hard to change, one of them
is Spain’s lack of respect for Portuguese territorial integrity.
Saturday, the 20th May 2006 marks the 205th
anniversary of Spain’s invasion of Portugal’s Alentejo province in 1801. The
army of occupation advanced swiftly and, in just three days had taken a large
portion of territory along Portugal’s eastern border. Under the watchful eye
of the French army poised further north, the Portuguese (!) sought peace with
the Spaniards. Until Spain’s ultimatum two months earlier, there had in fact
been peace.
On the surface there was an apparent closeness of
political ideology as well as the family ties between the two kingdoms. But
Spain’s unreliable friendship had raised its ugly head again only five years
before. At Spain’s insistence, Portugal had contributed some 10,000 men to
fight against Napoleon’s France. The military campaign in the Roussillon
faltered and ended abruptly in 1795. Then came the Spanish stab in the back
when Manuel Godoy, their military commander, without consulting the
Portuguese, signed a secret Peace Treaty with the French at Basle the
following year. At the heart of the Treaty was the complete disappearance of
Portugal. The first act of this unprovoked aggression started in 1801, when
threatened with its own existence, Portugal was forced to cede Olivença and
its surrounding territory under the Treaty of Badajoz. Godoy went further and
also took territory that did not form part of the Treaty and in fact belonged
to Juromenha.
Spain signed a second treaty with France in1807 at
Fontainebleu to seal Portugal’s fate. In a joint invasion in 1808, initially
the Spanish forces attacked from the south and north, and French forces
attacked the centre. This time they hoped it would ensure the final break up
of the country. The Portuguese fought bravely, and with English military aid
finally sent the invaders packing in 1811. This same year Anglo-Portuguese
forces recaptured Olivença from the French. By some perverse political
manoeuvring on the part of Great Britain it would be lost again to the
Spaniards. Despite the decisions made at the Treaty of Paris in 1814 and
culminating at The Vienna Convention in 1815, Spain has failed to end its
occupation of Portuguese territory.
Spain’s dishonourable and arrogant refusal to comply with
International Law and the two-faced friendship used towards a neighbouring
country deserves the world’s utmost contempt. Spain is an untrustworthy ally
with an outdated imperialistic strategy.
On the 205th anniversary of Spain’s occupation of
territory belonging to a fellow member of the European Union, it is:
Intolerable - Spain’s continued disrespect for Portugal’s
territorial integrity.
Deplorable - Spain’s efforts to hide the truth from the
people of Olivença and the other occupied territories.
Repulsive - Spain’s systematic assimilation and
distortion of Portuguese culture and language.
Abusive – Spain’s demands to take decisions and actions
that imply control of Portuguese resources, economic, cultural and political
interests.
Fraudulent - Spain’s claim to a historical right to rule
over the peoples that have inhabited the Peninsula.
False - Spain’s assertion that Olivença was from the
start a “Castilian village” when it was founded by the Portuguese Templars.
Time – Spain should come clean over its secret
arrangement with Great Britain and hand back Olivença now.
Folllowing a meeting with the Regional
President,
Pérez Touriño at a
Lunch-Conference in Compostela, Galiza/Galicia on 26 April regarding the
transport infrastructure and development of the Northwest, the Portuguese
Minister for Public Works, Transport and Comunications, Mario Lino confessed
to be for a union of Spain and Portugal. According the “Faro de Vigo”
newspaper, he is reported to have said: “I confess to be an Iberist. We have
a common history and a common language. There is a historic and cultural
unity and Iberia is a reality that is pursued both by the Spanish and the
Portuguese governments”.
We add our voice to the many sections of
the Portuguese public that have reacted with disbelief and outrage that such
an outburst could come from the mouth of a government minister. There has
been widespread criticism of irresponsibility levelled at Mr Lino as well as
the serious accusation of treason. This is yet another very sad reflection of
Portuguese politicians cocking it up.
It is a well known fact that all Spanish
nationalists are “Iberists” but they don’t go around proclaiming it because
they know that Portugal would be no more than a Spanish “Autonomic” region and
Castilian would replace Portuguese, and this would be troublesome. Perhaps,
he was merely pretending to appear foolish by saying that Portuguese and
Castilian are the same to satisfy the inquisitive Spaniards. Mr Lino may be
ignorant (?) that under Article 308 of the Portuguese Constitution anyone who
by means of usurping or abusing the functions of sovereignty by
a) Trying to separate or give away all or
part of Portuguese territory or submit it to the sovereignty of another
country, or
b) Offend or put in danger the
independence of the country
will be punished with a prison sentence
from 10 to 20 years.
With this situation posing as a major
political scandal, there are now calls being made by some groups of patriotic
Portuguese for criminal action to be taken against Mr Lino.
He may not be a traitor, but is certainly
not patriotic as would be expected from a representative of the Portuguese
government when dealing with matters of national interest. He is undoubtedly
a buffoon and should go, along with the rest of his “Socialist” shower who
have recently come up with such a brilliant solution to improve the Portuguese
economy as closing down maternity facilities along the border and send all
pregnant women to have their babies in Spain. And also, to help the
Portuguese to increase the birthrate to introduce a new benefit for the third
child and penalize all couples who have only one! God Bless Portugal and rid
us of this "Iberist" virus that one day will have us sing our own anthem in
Castilian!
The French forces who had booted out the Spaniards in
January without firing a shot had now surrendered to the Allies. The
Portuguese 9th brigade, composed of infantry regiments 11 and 23, and
Caçadores 7 entered the town through the São Francisco Gate. The
Portuguese flag flew once more over its 40 metre Torre de Menagem, built in
1486 in the reign of King Joao II. Olivença, founded by the Portuguese
Templars, always Portuguese from the times of the Christian reconquest had
been reunited to Portugal. The 7,000 plus Portuguese population were
overjoyed and could finally celebrate their freedom both from French and
Spanish occupation.
Unexpectedly, later that day, in one of the most bizarre
twists of military decisions in history, word came from Lord Wellesley, Duke
of Wellington, the British Commander of all the Allied Armies in the Iberian
Peninsula. The Portuguese garrison were ordered to leave Olivença, to be
replaced with Spanish forces. This was done by someone of high
ranking authority, who made the tricky promise that "at the end of the war
the handing over of the town to Portugal will be dealt with". As
Olivença had been taken from the French, and not one Spanish soldier had taken
part in either the siege or its recapture, this promise was believed.
Spanish Betrayal
With the war over, the European powers set about sorting out
the upheaval created by Napoleon's imperialistic ambitions. By the
Treaty of Paris 1814, all treaties made during the war were made null and void
and borders to return to 1793. This makes the occupation of Olivença
illegal, and its systematic colonisation an affront to the international
community.
Today, Spain does not abide by its international agreements and
publicly dishonours one of its most illustrious sons, Count Fernan Nuñez y
Barajas who solemnly signed and ratified the Great Peace Treaty of Vienna
1815, on behalf of his government.
Spanish generals and historians know and undestand the
consequences of entering Olivença under those conditions and unjustly taking
possession, not having done anything to merit such a reward. Sadly, they
pretend not to have knowledge of this fact, and still seek to justify by
whatever means, its military jurisdiction over Olivença.
Portugal and its people wait and hope for
law and justice to prevail in this beautiful corner of the world, for
imperialism and terrorism to fail, so that real peace be given a chance.
Every possible effort has been made to give an accurate account of the
events to-date, and the situation as it presents itself. For this the current
news media, books and articles hereto published have been used.
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"Belief,
and the Will to Win" 
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