Anyone who knows the usually quiet Alcoutim, will certainly be amazed if he spends there this Sunday, March 26, or if he has been heading to this village in the interior of the Algarve, since Friday. The streets are full of people, some of them “strange” and wearing costumes that remind us of other times, many others speaking languages other than Portuguese, there is music and lots of entertainment, and from the Alcoutim pier there is a pedestrian bridge that allows you to pass smoothly until Sanlúcar de Guadiana, across the river.
With the organization of the Festival of Contraband, "an old dream", the Council of Alcoutim and the Alcaidaria de Sanlúcar de Guadiana, from Spain, wanted to create a differentiating event, capable of becoming "an anchor" in the cultural and entertainment program in both territories. Taking into account the many visitors, even with the unstable weather, the organizers of the initiative seem to have hit the nail on the head.
At the Festival of Contraband there is a little of everything: traditional arts and crafts, both for sale and in live demonstrations, traditional (and tempting) products of the land and even smugglers and tax guards, who stroll through the streets, central elements of a Intense entertainment program that reaches both sides of the Guadiana. But there is also good mountain-style cuisine, from traditional chickpeas and fried eels, to game dishes.
To get here, in addition to the idea of the festival, which had been brewing among the people of Alcoutim and Sanlúcar for a long time, the support given by the 365 Algarve program was essential. It was with the extra money that came through the initiative of the Secretaries of State for Culture and Tourism that it was possible to "make an event with these characteristics and dimension", namely the installation of the pedestrian bridge, which proved to be a sure bet, since hundreds of people flocked to both villages to experience the feeling of crossing the Guadiana on foot.
The participation of 365 Algarve also allowed for the strong entertainment program and the first Jornadas do Contrabando, a conference that brought together knowledge and memory, on the day the event was launched.
An initiative that proved to be fundamental for framing a new festival. Also because, for some, it may seem strange that an event promoted by two autarchies from different countries and supported by public funds on both sides of the border, has the name and celebrates an activity that was illegal.
On the edge of the Lower Guadiana, smuggling was, for centuries, a way of survival for many families doomed to poverty. In other words, it wasn't a choice, it was a necessity.
“We are obviously not apologists for what is illicit, nor is it for that purpose that we carry out this event. what we intend is to pay homage to the story and the actors and protagonists of a time when, within a context that was explained in the Jornadas do Contrabando. Many people were forced to adopt this practice in difficult times that opposed the law to survival», framed the president of the Alcoutim Chamber Osvaldo Gonçalves to the Sul Informação.
Basically, it is about taking the history of the territory in order to enhance not only the memories, but the territory itself. «We advanced this year with the first edition, thanks to the support we had from 365 Algarve. We want to continue to elevate this and create here an anchor event for our sub-region, but also in a regional context», he explained.
The 365 Algarve program commissioner believes that this will be precisely what will be achieved with this new festival, which has the unique characteristic in the Algarve of being cross-border. “This is an example to follow. The border must be one of approximation, not separation», he considered.
The president of the Algarve Tourism Region also did not hide his satisfaction at seeing a festival with these characteristics born in the interior of the region. «This path that Alcoutim is taking is increasingly mandatory. This is one of the most important actions of the program», he considered.
This Sunday, it is still possible to enjoy the event until the evening, with an acrobatic circus session «Hombre que Perdia los Botones» by the Circ Panic group at Castelo de Alcoutim (19:00), Physical Theater, by the company Só, in the South Pier of Alcoutim (18:00 pm and 20:00 pm), and a street show by the Galandum Galundaina, starting at 21:00 pm.
The return of the prodigal grandson, made minister of finance
On the first day of the Festival of Contraband, the day was almost entirely occupied by the days, which took place in the former Alfândega de Alcoutim, now occupied by Finance. The pedestrian bridge was only inaugurated in the late afternoon, with many people taking the opportunity to be the first to walk the path between the Algarve village and Sanlúcar.
The party continued yesterday, Saturday, March 25, with a lot of cultural and tourist entertainment, as well as the opening of the fair's stalls. This was also the day chosen to officially open the event, a ceremony that was attended by Finance Minister Mário Centeno.
And it was soon realized that, more than the historical connection of this ministry to smuggling, as a legislator and, of course, repressive of this activity, Mário Centeno has a very strong connection to Alcoutim, where his family origins are located. The memories of the Centenos de Alcoutim are, for example, on the walls of the Paços do Concelho, where the photo of the great-grandfather of the now minister is placed on the wall, as he was the first post-Implementation mayor of the Republic.
But they are also in the memory of many, since there were many people, all of them older, who approached Mário Centeno, recalling that they were students of his grandmother. And, despite the member of the Government having already been born in Vila Real de Santo António, from which he left when he was still young, his father was born in Giões.
In his speech, in addition to his family legacy, the minister considered that smuggling is "a natural reaction when barriers are raised that should not exist." In the case of the Guadiana streak, as the investigators present at the previous day's Journeys made clear, it interfered with secular commercial practices.
But he did not fail to emphasize "the historical importance that the Fiscal Guard also has in the Guadiana region", since the establishment of posts along the river, by the former Ministry of Finance, created jobs "where young Alcoutenejos found an occupation professional".
What is certain is that, today, the former smugglers and tax guards of Alcoutim, who once stood on opposite sides of the barricade, have friendly conversations, where they remember a time when the river was secretly passed and with their hearts in their hands, to make money.
See the photos of the Festival of Contraband:
Photos: Hugo Rodrigues| Sul Informação
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