Mugalari

Mugalari is a Basque word used to designate people who help others cross the border between France and Spain, mainly for political reasons.

Once they had crossed the border, they went to Donostia, from where they would be taken by the British consulate to Gibraltar, and then sent to London.

[1] They were also active during Franco's dictatorship, and more recently, as part of the Basque Conflict, they had been helping ETA members to cross the border.

[2] One of the most famous mugalaris was Manuel Mª Garmendia Zubiarrain alias Korta, who was shot dead by the Spanish Civil Guard in Bera, Navarre in 1976.

The so-called smugglers' races in which runners carry a full sack on their backs are now one of the Basque rural sports.