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Historic rehabilitation of the 'Conqueror' of Olivença Conclusion of the International Congress The International Congress about Manuel Godoy, held since 3 October ended yesterday 6 October. It had taken place in the towns of Badajoz, Castuera and Olivença, and was promoted by the University of Extremadura and supported by the Junta de Extremadura Emilio La Parra, promoter of the meetings, at the end of the sessions, mentioned the outstanding quality of the information, although he noted that "it's only the top of the iceberg of the investigation work that the speakers did". He also declared that thanks to the Congress, they had arrived "at the real Godoy, someone that we must not save or condemn", in a clear reference to the great controversy that this personage still causes all over Spain. To Emilio La Parra, the objective of a congress such as this is to place the personage in history and to explain his influence and not rehabilitate him:"it's not a question of saying that he was good or bad, but only to get to know and interpret what he did. That is to recover the historic memory" Despite this historographic intention, it is unanimous to any one connected to the dispute of Olivença that we contacted, that the decision to organise this congress has a close link to the commemoration of the 200 years of the occupation of Olivença celebrated this year, an event that Manuel Godoy himself was mainly responsible. The reputation of Manuel Godoy At the close of the Congress, the Director-General of the Heritage and Advisory Council of Culture of the Junta of Extremadura, Francisco Peréz Urban, presented in the 'Provincial Deputación de Badajoz' the book "The Image of Manuel Godoy", a publication that, according to the newspaper 'El Periódico -Extremadura', of 7 October, claimed to "recover the image of the Extremadura politician of XVIII and XIX (sic) for the historical memory of society" It deals with the first compilation of pictures, engravings, illustrations of the "Prince of Peace", accompanied by a vast list of biographical summary, by the authorships of Isadora Rose de Viega, Emilio La Parra and Enrique Gim´e;nez. A statue for Godoy and the transfer of his mortal remains At the end of the Congress, the historian, Alberto González, a chronicler from Badajoz, proposed that the 'Ayuntamiento' of the city should have a monument erected to the "Prince of Peace", Manuel Godoy and make efforts with effect to having the mortal remains of the personage repatriated, which continues buried in Paris; and have a museum set up in the 'Palacio de Godoy' In supporting his petition, Alberto González remembered that the whole 'Ayuntamiento de Badajoz' approved in 1807, the erection of a monument in marble and bronze in honour of Godoy, which did not materialise as he fell into disgrace the very next year. At the meeting he reminded them that Manuel Godoy does not have in Badajoz any other recognition other than a plaque on the house where he was born in 1767 and a street name. The Municipal Town Hall of Olivença in 1994 approved the building of a statue to Manuel Godoy, after the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had reaffirmed Portuguese sovereignty over Olivença, a project which has not materialised. In an editorial, the 'Hoy' newspaper of Badajoz, on 7 October, joininng in the proposals. suggested that a citizens commission be established that would be committed to having Godoy's mortal remains repatriated and to promote a subscription to have erected in that city "a dignified public monument, settling in this way the debt of the unfulfilled promise by the 'Ayuntamiento' almost 200 years ago" The same paper committed itself to promote the said subscription and to start it off with a donation. The Editorialist, Teresiano Rodriguez Nun&tildee;z, ended his text declaring: "If these objectives are attained, the 150h anniversary of the death of Godoy, "Prince of Peace", would have been the year of recovery of his memory, the repatriation of his mortal remains, and the reclaiming of his historic figure" Source of Text: Dr Mário Rodrigues