The data revealed by Pordata about Alcoutim does not surprise Carlos Brito, but, confesses the writer and former deputy to the Assembly of the Republic, it always shocks him to remember the numbers concerning the population, which has been decreasing and aging in this county in the interior .
«In my youth (1950s), the county had 10.500 inhabitants. The difference between this and the current number represents well the measure of the deep depopulation and the serious desertification of Alcoutim», he considered.
Based on the data provided by Pordata and summarized in the infographic we published above, the Sul Informação he asked Carlos Brito to make a portrait of Alcoutim, where he was born and lives.
In his 81 years of life, he lived intensely and was marked by political activism – he is a former PCP militant, went underground, was a member of the Constituent Assembly in 1975, and was in Parliament from 1976 to the end of the decade. 80 – Carlos Brito never lost his connection with Alcoutim.
Also because, in his view, living in this municipality is a privilege.
«Living in Alcoutim has the charm of being surrounded by a landscape of rare beauty, with the river, the boats, the Spanish village of Sanlúcar, in an environment of peace, silence and tranquility typical of sparsely populated areas, where there is great margin for the development of recreational or creative activities, whether in the material domain – agriculture, fishing, handicraft – or in the spiritual domain – literary or artistic», he defended.
As in many cases, the greatest virtue is linked to the great defect. This is because «this charm has the reverse side of small towns, where many things are lacking that can only be found in larger centers, more than 30 kilometers away».
Among what is not found in Alcoutim, there are «aspects of everyday life, shows and more complex health care».
And if, in some areas, "there may be improvements, as has been happening in recent times", in others it will be more complicated to change the situation, taking into account that they are part of "the very condition of small villages".
In Alcoutim, «it is not to be expected that there are shopping centers, supermarkets, regular music or theater shows». Carlos Brito does not fail, however, to «praise the efforts made by the municipality and its various departments, such as the Casa dos Condes Library», in promoting events.
One of the areas where improvements could be made, he added, is in "local commerce, either from existing establishments or in the weekly market".
"It must be stressed that, in terms of public services, the council, although suffering from the abandonment of the entire interior, is not the worst, compared to others, including in the fields of education, health and, especially, the elderly, with the three homes that exist», he believes.
Alcoutim's big problem, defended Carlos Brito, is related to "the lack of investment in productive activities that boost the economy in a sustainable way, create jobs and help to recover and secure the population."
“This is one of those cases where public investment has to go ahead and open the door to private investment. Therefore, I continue to defend the construction of the Alcoutim-Sanlúcar international bridge and the completion of the IC27 to Beja, as pioneering steps for future development,” he said.
Alcoutim does not lack potential, particularly in the tourism sector, “because of its beauty and geographical situation”. This is, by the way, an area in which the council «fortunately, has been asserting itself in recent years and, especially, this year».
In addition to the reopening of the Hotel de Alcoutim, 2017 was marked by the «opening and operation of good quality restaurants, both in the town and throughout the municipality». It is also necessary to take into account “game reserves, especially tourist reserves, and the improvement of the boat connection with Spain”.
«In these cases, the potential opened up by the IC27, the river beach of Alcoutim and the Via Algarviana are being realized. The slide that guarantees the crossing of the Guadiana by air, from the Castle of Sanlúcar to the vegetable gardens of Ribeira do Cadavais, as well as the current offer of different modes of playful entertainment, such as kart cross, kayaks and river trips also help to boost tourism».
It is, moreover, in the tourist sector that there is a greater business dynamic, with the birth of new companies. «In the field of photovoltaics, another great hope of the council, the Martim Longo park continues to operate, without major changes», with the possibility of being born near Vaqueiros, «one of the largest photovoltaic parks in the world», recalled Carlos Brito.
As for the associative dynamics, «it was already very promising in the municipality», but «currently, it is in great decline».
«The main reason is the guidelines that came to command the community funds, where the priority areas became public and private, at the expense of the association. But I think this one is sorely missed», he concluded.
Carlos Brito shows that he has carefully observed the Pordata data revealed about this municipality, which even contains a curious discrepancy: the number of voters is higher than the population.
In Carlos Brito's view, the error may be more on the side of the population, as the 2645 voters seem to him to be a correct figure, taking into account that, in 2013, "abstention here was only 24 percent".
“These anomalies often come from the conditions under which population censuses are carried out, but they do not change in any substantial way the image of depopulation in the county, as happens throughout the interior”, he concluded.
NOTE: O Sul Informação is publishing a series of 16 articles called “X-Ray of the Municipalities”, dedicated to each of the 16 Algarve municipalities.
The infographics, developed by our multimedia journalist Nuno Costa, use statistical data from Pordata.
The people chosen to comment on the data in each of the municipalities are not, as much as possible, linked to political parties and reside, have businesses, work or were born in the municipalities concerned.
Read also
X-ray of the Counties: Faro it is no longer a «dying» city and «it gives pleasure» to live in it
X-Ray of the Municipalities: Portimão needs to «diversify business offer»
X-Ray of the Municipalities: «the word that best sticks to Silves will be “potential”. Whoever grabs it»
X-Ray of the Municipalities: Castro Marim "unfortunately stagnated", but Nature Reserve is reason for hope
X-Ray of the Municipalities: “Quality of Life” in Monchique is not enough to fix young people
X-Ray of the Municipalities: Living in São Brás is “excellent”, but there is a lack of jobs and economic activities
X-ray of the Municipalities: Lagos has "a problem" in the fixation of young people
X-Ray of the Municipalities: Living in Tavira is «an interesting experience with ups and downs»
Comments