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Grupo dos Amigos de Olivença
Forum OlivençaOLIVENÇA INTERNATIONAL DISPUTE
OLIVENÇA TIMELINE
1228 - Portuguese Templars on behalf of King Sancho II take the Olivença territory from the Moors
1228 - 1245 - Olivença is founded by the Portuguese Templars
12 Sep 1297 - At the Treaty of Alcanizes, between Diniz of Portugal & Ferdinand IV of Castile, Olivença & other territories are recognized as part of Portugal
4 Jan 1298 - King Diniz I gives Olivença a Royal Charter. New defence walls are built
1486 - João II has the 40 metre high Tower of Menagem is built
1510 - A new Charter is given by Manuel I. During his reign further fortifications are done, and also the bridge over the Rio Odiana (Guadiana) linking Olivença to Elvas is built. Work starts on the Madalena Church which will serve for many years as the seat of the Bishopric of Ceuta
1580 - Occupation of Portugal and union of the two crowns, with Philip II of Spain as Philip I of Portugal
1 Dec 1640 - Portuguese independence and monarchy restored under João IV
1641 & 1642 - Olivença repulses Spanish attack by the Conde de Monterey
1648 - Siege by Spanish troops led by the Marquis of Leganes fails
May 1658 - Olivença falls to Spanish forces under the Duque San German and is held by Spain until 1668
1668 - Peace treaty between Spain and Portugal in which Portuguese independence, and the borders in existence east of the Odiana (Guadiana) before the occupation are recognized
1709 - During the war of the Spanish Succession, the Manueline Ajuda bridge over the Odiana (Guadiana) is destroyed by Spanish forces and so making Olivença vulnerable to attack
29 Jan 1801 - Alliance Treaty between France and Carlos IV of Spain for the invasion of Portugal
20 May 1801 - In an act of unprovoked aggression, Spanish troops led by Manuel Godoy and in alliance with the French, invade Portugal and seize Olivença and other Alentejo towns
6 Jun 1801 - At the tri-partite Treaty of Badajoz Portugal under threat from French forces on the Beira border, cedes Olivença to the Spaniards in an "act of conquest" in return for peace
27 Oct 1807 - Ratification of the Treaty of Fontainbleau between France and Spain for the partition of Portugal, in which part of the Alentejo (including Olivença) and the Algarve would be handed to Godoy
Nov 1807 - French and Spanish forces invade and occupy Portugal thus breaking the terms of the 1801 treaty
1 May 1808 - Prince Regent João of Portugal repudiates the Treaty of Badajoz
19 Feb 1810 - Treaty of Friendship with the United Kingdom by which the UK promises to help Portugal recover Olivença and its territory
15 Apr 1811 - Portuguese forces take Olivença from the French, but Beresford who's in charge of the Portuguese army orders the town to be handed to Spain
30 May 1814 - Treaty of Paris, article III, declares null & void and of no worth whatever, the Treaties of Badajoz and Madrid (1801)
9 Jun 1815 - Treaty of Vienna, article 105, recognizes Portugal's legal rights over the territory of Olivença
7 May 1817 - In Paris, representing Carlos VII of Spain, Conde de Fernan-Nunez ratifies the Treaty of Vienna to return Olivença to Portugal
1840 - Portuguese language banned from being taught in Olivença
1936-1939 - During Spanish civil war, there's an active programme of widespread persecution and dispersal to rid the territory of the Portuguese born population
1952 - Commission of Border Limits under instructions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs leave undefined border between Rio Caia and Rio Cuncos
1958 & 1959 - Commission of Border Limits under instructions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs leave border between Rio Caia and Rio Cuncos undefined
1968 - At a Luso-Spanish Convention, the Odiana (Guadiana) east bank is guaranteed to Portugal
1974 - A Spanish juri-consultation body of the International Commission of Limits recognizes Portugal's rights over Olivença
1988 - The Portuguese ambassador, Carlos Empis Wemans declares: "Olivença, from a legal point of view is still ours."
Mar 1994 - Referring to the reconstruction of the bridge over the Guadiana, the Portuguese ambassador, Pinto Soares, affirmed: "The Portuguese State cannot be involved in any project which involves it in a recognition of the border in a location in which there is no agreement."
Nov 1995 - At the Luso-Spanish summit, agreement is reached in which Portugal alone will build and pay for the construction of the new bridge over the Guadiana, linking Olivença with Elvas
2 Sep 1997 - At the "Portuguese-Spanish Historic Congress" in Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo speaking about the Treaty of Alcanizes, Federico Trillo, President of the Spanish Deputies affirmed: "it would be unrealistic not to recognize" that Portugal is right in relation to Olivença.
12 Nov 2000 - At 15.30 the new Ajuda bridge is opened, thus for the first time since 1709 there is a direct land link between the west and east banks of the Odiana (Guadiana), north of Mourão
8 June 2001 - Petition containing 5,000 signatures (as required by law) is handed in to the Assembly of the Republic to demand the discussion in the Portuguese parliament the question of Olivença
11 July 2001 - Spanish police under cover of darkness evicts the nuns from the Santa Casa da Misericordia which gave aid to the poorest in the community and replaced them with their own people. This was the last institution in the occupied territory directly affiliated to the rest of Portugal since ancient times.
13 July 2001 - Spanish police intimidate several members of the Grupo dos Amigos de Olivença at the town's post office when posting letters to 2,000 Olivença families.
16 July 2001 - Lisbon judicial court issues ruling against Portuguese government to prevent Spain going ahead with the rebuilding work of the Manueline Ajuda bridge, which had been agreed in a Luso-Spanish commission meeting at Evora in January 2000 in breach of Portuguese law and Constitution.
23 July 2003 - The Judicial Tribunal at Elvas ordered an embargo on the company "Freyssinet SA" from its illegal reconstruction work on the (Manueline) Ajuda Bridge, a Portuguese Monument of National Heritage, and pointed out that the Spanish Department of Public Works was to blame for starting it without "the necessary administrative authority of the Portuguese government" and which implied the "violation of Portuguese national territory". The Court Judge also advised that , (due to the Treaty of Vienna,) "the matter be deferred to an international mediation body". "Freyssinet" withdrew all building equipment from both (!) sides of the Odiana (Guadiana), but too late to save the eastern section from being totally encased in concrete.
25 June 2004 - Petition signed by over 5,000 citizens on the Question of Olivença is discussed in the Portuguese Parliament. Underlining their respect for International Law and making reference that International Rights still determine Olivença as Portuguese territory, the Deputies expressed their will that the government reply to the Petition, by analysing the conflict and finding a solution as a factor of great importance for future relations between Portugal and Spain.
sources:various newspapers' articles and, www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/2382/brevhist.htm
Rui A.M. da Silva
