Ribeira Grande, Azores, Portugal, May 9, 2025 (Lusa) - The book ‘Rabo de Peixe’ promises "the complete truth" about the drugs that washed up on São Miguel island in Portugal's Azores region, in 2001, with interviews with "all the protagonists" of a "reality that is harsher than the fiction" on Netflix.
"This work is not a novel. It's not a work of fiction, but a work that seeks to show the complexity of history, with all its dark sides. There is a component of research, of travelling, of encounters, which enrich the story," explains author Rúben Pacheco Correia in a statement to Lusa.
The book, which will be presented on Friday at 9pm local time in the Azores (8pm in Lisbon) in the church of Rabo de Peixe, is the result of a two-year investigation and includes interviews with "all the protagonists" involved in the sinking of a boat that brought more than 700 kilos of cocaine to São Miguel in 2001.
"I discovered incredible stories that show that reality, after all, is much harsher than fiction," says the author.
Among the testimonies is that of the Italian drug trafficker Antonino Quinci, who "disappeared for more than twenty years" and is now in prison in Brazil, as well as the men who helped him escape from Ponta Delgada prison and remain hidden from the authorities.
"I hired a private detective to try and find Antonino Quinci. I followed some leads that took me to Sicily, where I interviewed members of the criminal family that brought the cocaine to the Azores, and later to Brazil, where I interviewed the protagonist of this whole story in prison," he reveals.
Rúben Correia reveals some ‘revelations’ in the book that make it possible to understand the ‘complexity’ of the incident, such as the fact that the drugs belonged to a Colombian barracks and had "links to an attempted attack in Lisbon".
"Vito Quinci, Antonino's nephew who came to help his uncle in São Miguel in 2001, had been kidnapped with his wife by a Colombian cartel that owned the drugs transported by Antonino, as long as the Italian didn't turn up," he explains.
The writer emphasises that the book "is not an ode to crime", but rather a ‘warning’, not only about a situation that "contributed to the end of many people's lives", but also about a drug problem that continues to be a scourge on São Miguel.
Born in Rabo de Peixe, Rúben Pacheco Correia reveals that he grew up with a ‘stigma’ associated with his land that "doesn't correspond to reality", a situation that he says has been exacerbated by the Netflix series inspired by the drug landing.
For the author, the series ‘Rabo de Peixe’, which was an international success, "put the name of a community at stake" by not separating reality from fiction, making it "legitimate for the viewer to think that the whole story is inspired by real events".
"Somewhat disgusted by this, I decided to start investigating the only event that the series was really inspired by: the drugs that washed up all over the island of São Miguel. I emphasise ‘all over the island’."
Rúben Correia believes that the parish was ‘unfairly associated’ with the drugs case, not least because the trafficker "only landed in Rabo de Peixe for less than 24 hours, after having hidden the cocaine along the north coast" of the island.
"This is a project that is trying to dignify the name of Rabo de Peixe and clear its name," he emphasised.
On Wednesday, during the presentation of the book in Lisbon, it was announced that it will be the subject of a TVI documentary.
Rúben Correia also says that he rejected offers from the Netflix platform to buy the exclusive contract he signed with Antonino Quinci: "I want to tell the story myself. I'm from Rabo de Peixe and I want to give my land the dignity it deserves."
Rabo de Peixe - Toda a Verdade" (The whole truth) will also be presented in the northern city of Gaia (in mainland Portugal) on 16 May.
RPYP/AYLS // AYLS
Lusa
