Spanish refugees in Castro Laboreiro (1936-1939)

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the reception and travel of refugees through Portugal in the context of the Spanish Civil War, focusing on the mountainous region of Castro Laboreiro, in the district of Viana do Castelo. The proximity to Spain has made this territory a privileged place of refuge to protect themselves from war and persecution by the opposing forces. Afraid of contact with the outside world, the salazarist regime has developed a repression directed at these refugees, considered undesirable, translated into searches through the different authorities, namely the PVDE, the GNR, the PSP and the Guarda Fiscal. The troops of these forces were asked for joint action and reinforcement of the surveillance posts. In the context of the passage and capture of Spanish refugees in Castro Laboreiro, we address the case of the family of Eudózia Lorenzo Diz, which exemplifies the reality experienced by many refugees in Portugal.