Marcha Las Huías: when Spain's Civil War is relived on foot from the villages to the north of Malaga

They walked and walked, with little more than the clothes on their backs and with no fixed destination, but with the certainty that what had been their home was no longer a safe place. This was the experience of the inhabitants of villages in the north of Malaga province and the Cadiz mountains in the midst of Spain's Civil War, when the national troops took towns in the northern part of the province and hundreds of people fled their homes to seek refuge elsewhere, trying to avoid being captured.

Almost a century later, these municipalities have not forgotten the suffering of their ancestors, who lost everything while looking for safety. The Marcha Las Huías is a route initiated in 2023 that brings together hundreds of people from different parts of Malaga province. Together they walk a path that ends at a common point, recalling a historical episode deeply marked in the memory of the older generation. Now in its third year, this event will take place on Saturday 25 January, with Alcalá del Valle as the final destination.

Teba will be one of the starting points for this walk, recalling in particular the exodus experienced by its population. On 15 September 1936, the Nationalists took the municipality in an operation that also included Antequera, Ronda, Campillos, Sierra de Yeguas and practically the entire northern part of the province. The main objective of the advance of the troops from Seville and Cadiz, through the mountains, was to reach Malaga city.

Juan Fuentes, president of the Asociación para la Recuperación de la Memoria de Histórica de Teba, explains that the night of 14 September is known as "la noche de la huía" (the night of the escape). That night, most of the population of Teba left the village for fear of reprisals, aware that the troops were executing people as they passed through.

With just the essentials in their hands, the families sought refuge in the area that was still holding out. "The front remained in Ardales until February 1937. They also had refuge in Casarabonela and Valle de Abdalajís, which were still in the hands of the Republic," says Fuentes. His own testimony is particularly striking: "My parents, aged six and eight, arrived at a farmhouse in Casarabonela, where they spent five months with other neighbours from Teba". Many others took refuge in nearby sierras and mountains, facing extreme conditions.

On 7 February 1937, Malaga fell completely under the control of Franco's troops, along with the Republican fronts resisting in places like Ardales and Casarabonela. Some families fled to Almería, while many returned home after hearing that only those who had committed "blood crimes" would be persecuted. However, the return was difficult. Many families found their homes had been ransacked: "They left valuable belongings behind and when they returned, they found that everything had been stolen. The doors were open and there was nothing left," recalls Fuentes. Moreover, the older men were arrested on their return, locked up in makeshift jails until they could prove their innocence. "Those who had committed blood crimes never returned," he says.

That night entire families left their homes, not knowing where to go or what the future would hold. Even the children, who years later recounted their stories of escape, experienced that night with a mixture of anguish and disorientation. "I remember clearly how that sense of desperation was experienced in the village," says Juan Fuentes, who experienced the stories of those times first-hand. Today, the participation of so many young people in the march is not only a tribute, but a way of transmitting to them the weight of that historical memory.

The 'March of the Huías' is a way of keeping the memory of those times alive and bringing it into the present. For Juan Fuentes, participating every year is a deeply emotional experience, as it reminds him of what his parents and many others went through as children. "It is true that we do it in a more cheerful atmosphere, but I also try to imagine what it was like for them, walking without food and often in the dark," he reflects.

Fuentes also draws parallels with current situations, such as those experienced by refugees in Ukraine or Gaza, where thousands of people are forced to flee their homes. "Unfortunately, this is still happening," he says. For him, this type of event is fundamental in order not to forget and to preserve the collective memory: "It is something that should never be forgotten".

The 'Marcha Las Huías' continues to be an act of historical memory and vindication, a reminder of the injustice experienced by so many families who were forced to flee their homes. More people than ever are expected to join in this year, with a significant number of young generations who, through this route, learn about the difficult moments that marked the history of their country. In addition, the march continues to be a key tool for raising awareness and promoting peace, making it clear that, despite the passage of time, historical memory must be preserved and passed on to new generations.