A group of 45 individuals from Oliveira de Azeméis, a municipality in the district of Aveiro and the Porto Metropolitan Area, successfully entered Portugal via the Vilar Formoso border around 21:00. They are expected to arrive in Oliveira de Azeméis before midnight. Despite facing challenges, they are reported to be in good spirits, even though support from the Portuguese Embassy in Italy was reportedly “nonexistent.”
Hélder Ramos, the spokesperson for the group, shared that the participants, after attending the “Jubilee of Adolescents” Catholic event in Italy, found themselves unable to board their pre-booked return flight with Wizz Air.
“It’s false to say everything was sorted. Wizz Air only offered us return flights on May 6th and refused to cover accommodation costs until then. As for the Portuguese consulate’s support, there was none. They only called today to ask if we had managed to find a way back, wanting to close the case, and of course, I made my feelings clear,” disclosed Hélder Ramos.
The local parish managed to split the group, primarily composed of 13 to 15-year-olds, onto two flights. The first flight departed from Rome to Barajas Airport at 10:30, followed by the second at 13:30, taking the same route.
Once gathered in Madrid, the entire group traveled the remaining distance on a single bus, hired from a Spanish company and funded by the Oliveira de Azeméis City Council.
“No Portuguese company was willing to provide the service. They told us they couldn’t arrange drivers due to the holiday tomorrow [Thursday]. It took a Spanish businessman to find a solution, moved by the fact that so many children were involved, as he also has children and wouldn’t want them in such a situation,” Hélder Ramos added.
This predicament, affecting the group from Oliveira de Azeméis and another group of 14 youths and adults from Santo Tirso who were also visiting Rome for the Jubilee, was triggered by a widespread power outage on Monday at 11:30. This blackout affected the entire Iberian Peninsula along with parts of France, yet authorities have not fully explained the interruption’s cause.
The blackout resulted in halted industry and commerce, non-operational fuel stations, disrupted telecommunications, closed airports, interruptions in public water supplies, depletion of essential goods stocks like water and batteries, public transport congestion, and traffic issues due to traffic light failures and excessive traffic.
The electrical supply for 6.5 million consumers in Portugal was completely restored and stabilized by Tuesday morning around 07:00, following a phased reconnection described by REN — Redes Energéticas Nacionais as an “absolutely exceptional event.”
