Wolves and Bureaucrats - December 19, 2007
Traitor in Soajo - December 7, 2007
Freedom for Soajo - November 25, 2007

Wolves and Bureaucrats

The Iberian wolf is a beautiful animal. It is also feared and despised by farmers everywhere, especially in the Alto Minho region and in Soajo. For centuries, wolves and farmers have been at war, forever in competition for territory. For this, wolves are despised. And unfortunately hunted down. 

Wolves are intelligent, brave and ferocious hunters. They kill only what they need to survive and to feed the clan. Like all animals of the planet, they deserve to live. Wolves are misunderstood animals.

Men have feared wolves mostly because of the stories and myths passed on from one generation to the next. While it is true that wolves occasionally will kill domestic livestock, they mostly target wildlife like red deer or roe deer. Unfortunately, hunters have encroached on that natural food source by over hunting, leaving the wolves with no choice but to hunt domestic animals like older or injured cows, newborn calves, lambs and goats.

Only one attack on a human has been reported in Portugal. And that was because a wolf was infected with rabies, which is no longer known to be present in Portugal.

But let’s get back to the issue of attacks on domestic animals. Farmers and shepherds of Soajo have a right to protect their animals. These animals are their property. Lots of hard work and expense is involved in raising and caring for these animals.

Wolves too should be protected. They should not be hunted to the point of extinction. Eradicating wolves from the Alto Minho region would be a travesty on the level of killing baby seals and hunting whales. It would be a disgusting example of mankind’s excessive nature to destroy yet another species.

But how can a balance be achieved between the rights of farmers to protect their livestock and the right of wolves to live in their ancestral region?

This is where the government bureaucrats come into the story. The people of Soajo and surrounding villages nearly hunted the wolf into extinction. The people were so fed up with wolves killing their livestock that they retaliated in a big way by waging an eradication campaign. This campaign nearly succeeded.

But about thirty years ago, the native wolf was reintroduced to the region by the government. In return, farmers were promised compensation for animals killed by the wolves. On the surface, this seems like a fair deal. But the reality is quite different.

Governments all over the world tend to be inefficient and bureaucratic. In Portugal, bureaucracy is raised to an art form. Therefore, what should have been a simple plan to compensate farmers for lost animals has become instead yet another example of false and undelivered promises.

Government compensation has been slow, if at all. All domesticated animals are tagged and registered. But because animals are often killed while grazing in the mountains, evidence is sometimes never found. If the tag is lost, the farmer is generally out of luck. The burden of proof is placed squarely on the farmer.

The government must do a better job. It is time for Portugal’s government to truly elevate itself to a higher level of governance on par with modern European societies. The government was right to reintroduce the wolves to the Alto Minho region. It is a noble policy to protect an endangered species. The government should also be applauded for making it illegal to kill wolves. But the policy should not come at the expense of subsistence farmers and poor shepherds whose loss of animals is a great financial burden for entire families.

The government must be more responsive in compensating farmers. It should not take years to process payments. Wolves belong in Alto Minho. They have existed in the region for many centuries and should be protected from extinction. It is a good policy. At the same time, poor farmers should not shoulder the financial burden resulting from this policy.

The government must do a better job in processing claims by farmers. Doing so would make the people of Soajo and Alto Minho better understand the policy and more willing to co-exist with their ancient archenemy. The people of Soajo would perhaps embrace the wolf. Until then, the government’s policy, similar to any other unfunded mandate, will be viewed with suspicion and resentment.

It is time that the government reform its bureaucracy and become more efficient in administering this worthy program.

Jose Afonso
December 19, 2007
___________________________________________________________________________________

Traitor in Soajo

There is a traitor living amongst Soajeiros. On August 23, 2007, several hundred heavily armed GNR troops descended on villages in Alto Minho in search of unregistered hunting rifles. The GNR targeted specific individuals. They seemed to know exactly which homes to search. Dozens of our fellow Minhotos and Soajeiros were arrested and face fines and/or jail time.

The GNR does not have a reputation as a very smart organization. It is certainly not in the league of the US’ FBI or UK’s Scotland Yard. For decades, GNR attracted poorly educated brutes to its ranks. It is considered corrupt and largely ineffective for modern policing. Although today, the GNR is staffed by better educated paramilitary soldiers, it continues, however, to behave by like its former self, as repressive and excessively heavy-handed.

Therefore, we have to ask this question: “How did the GNR know which Soajeiros and homes to target?”

The GNR is definitely not a sophisticated intelligence gathering organization. The people of the Minho region do not trust the GNR and rarely cooperate with it. GNR gathers information two ways: through coercion or informers. The GNR could not possibly have known which individuals to go after without having received inside information. One or more Soajeiros must have informed the GNR. These “informers” should be identified. They are traitors to their own people.

We have heard some names of suspected traitors, but for now we will not identify them here on www.soajo.net. We might do so in the future if we receive conclusive and irrefutable information.

A Soajeiro is first a Soajeiro and is a citizen of Portugal second. Yes, we are proud Portuguese nationalists. But we love our Minho region more. Yes, we love Portugal and all its cultural beauty and regional variety. But we love Soajo even more.

The traitor who informed GNR on his own people has essentially committed a far greater crime than those arrested by the GNR for possession of unregistered hunting rifles.

The traitor possibly had a personal dispute with the Soajeiros arrested. Regardless, it is inexcusable to sell out other Soajeiros, especially to the dreaded GNR.

Turning in your own people to the GNR is unthinkable. We hope the traitor is forgiven for this offensive transgression against all Soajeiros.

Jose Afonso
December 7, 2007
____________________________________________________________________________________

Freedom for Soajo

On August 23, 2007, Soajo and other surrounding villages were invaded by modern-day storm troopers of the much distrusted Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR) in an operation dubbed "operação Face 452.2".  Over 221 GNR troopers took part in this operation that led to the confiscation 50 weapons, most of which were hunting rifles. Twenty-nine people were arrested in this operation. Many are honest, hard-working people.  Fortunately, no one was killed in this overly reckless action by GNR.  The officer in charge of the operation, Lieutenant Ricardo Cortinhas, commander of the GNR detachment in Arcos de Valdevez should be held to answer for his actions. It's incomprehensible that in 2007 GNR would so aggressively search 57 homes in one single day just to confiscate hunting rifles. Good God! What kind of country has Portugal become?  

Soajo is a peaceful village with around 1,000 residents.  The young people have emigrated seeking prosperity in other countries or in the cities of Portugal.  The people left in Soajo are mostly elderly residents who are retired, spending their days tending to their small farms, animals, or playing cards in the Casa do Povo.  Crime in Soajo is virtually non-existent.  There is no mafia in Soajo. There are no drug cartels or anything remotely close to that.

So why then would Lieutenant Cortinhas and the GNR feel it necessary to provoke the people of Soajo with such a heavy-handed tactic?  Why risk life just to confiscate a few hunting rifles and pistols (which are used for protection of property and homes)?  Why is the GNR confiscating illegal weapons to begin with?  Perhaps it's because the government makes it next to impossible for people to obtain a gun legally. 

The GNR is no stranger to the use of intimidation tactics.  For years the GNR has operated in the Minho region as a paramilitary outfit instilling fear in people.  During Salazar’s dictatorship the GNR was one of the State’s primary instruments of fear. What is shocking to us is that the GNR is still playing the same game of intimidation during this democratic time.

No doubt we live in violent times. Violent crime, drugs trafficking, crimes against children, cyber crime and terrorism are all on the rise.  Effective policing strategies are essential for civilized democratic societies to prosper.  In order for modern police agencies to be really effective, however, they need to earn respect of the citizenry otherwise their only option is instill fear in them.  Without respect, there is only fear. Hopefully, GNR’s overly aggressive operation against Soajo is not an indication that fear is their chosen strategy.

We urge all Soajeiros and our friends to contact the GNR to voice opposition against this type of action against Soajo. Send an email to the GNR’s national leader, Tenente-General CARLOS MANUEL MOURATO NUNES, at cg.gabcg@gnr.pt, to let him know that all Soajeiros are seriously concerned about the actions of the Arcos GNR.  Or call the GNR general command in Lisboa at 213-21-7000. Lastly, our politicians in Soajo and Arcos should demand an official explanation from the GNR.  

Jose Afonso
November 25, 2007