Nuno Melo, the new Minister of Defense of the Portuguese Government, has reignited a nearly forgotten debate. During a visit to the Portuguese municipality of Estremoz, near the Spanish border, Melo stated on September 13th that “Olivenza is Portuguese, naturally, and it is not a provocation.” He claimed sovereignty over the town of Badajoz, which has a population of 11,776, invoking the Treaty of Alcañices (1297), according to which the Portuguese state does not recognize Olivenza as Spanish territory. However, in the town itself, residents go about their lives unaware of the political controversy stirred up by the statements of the right-wing CDS-PP minister. Current relations between the inhabitants of the border region, known as Raya, are as normal as those of any other area along the border line separating the two countries. Many Spanish residents travel to Portugal for work, shopping, or leisure activities, and vice versa.
In Portugal, the minister’s statements have sparked controversy. The leader of the Portuguese Socialist Party, Pedro Nuno Santos, has rejected the Defense Minister’s declarations as “of extreme seriousness” with “an impact on foreign policy,” especially with diplomatic relations with Spain, and therefore demanded accountability. The controversy forced the minister to clarify that his statements were made in a personal capacity and were not an official opinion of his government. In the Spanish side, the Mayor of Olivenza, Manuel José González Andrade, considers the minister’s words to be out of place and belonging to the 19th century rather than the 21st. He maintains that such declarations are unacceptable and not in line with the unique historical identity of Olivenza within the Iberian Peninsula. Andrade emphasizes that what makes these claims particularly grave is that they come from a minister of Portugal.
Many residents of Olivenza have historical ties to Portugal and hold dual nationality, granting them the right to participate in the elections of both countries. Before Spain and Portugal became part of the European Union, there were no borders between them, and the only thing dividing them is the Guadiana River. Andrade is proud of the Portuguese heritage of his municipality. Around 1,500 Olivenza residents currently speak Portuguese, predominantly elderly individuals, but also younger generations who have benefited from measures to keep the language alive in the municipality. Former President of the Extremadura Regional Government, Guillermo Fernández Vara, asserts that today’s world calls for unity rather than division. He believes that debates surrounding Olivenza may have been relevant in the past but are no longer meaningful in the present.
The President of the Extremadura Regional Government, María Guardiola, has downplayed the issue, stating that it is not even up for discussion. She highlights the fantastic relationship between the two countries, emphasizing the progress made in the last 30 years through cross-border cooperation. Spain retained control of Olivenza following the War of the Oranges in the early 19th century, after returning Campo Maior or Portalegre to the Portuguese, territories originally conquered by the Spanish during the conflict. The official chronicler of the town of Olivenza, Luis Alfonso Limpo, recounts the history of the region and the strategic importance of its Spanish possession. Despite the historical context, however, the current political climate calls for promoting unity and collaboration over past territorial disputes.
