Caesar DePaço
Honorary Consul of the Portuguese Republic in Florida
In office
3 October 2014 – 14 May 2020
Appointed byRui Machete,
Minister of Foreign Affairs[1]
Personal details
Born
César Manuel Cardoso Matos do Paço

(1965-09-21) 21 September 1965
Madalena, Azores, Portugal
CitizenshipPortugal
SpouseDeanna Padovani DePaço
OccupationCEO of Summit Nutritionals International
Known forPhilanthropy

César Manuel Cardoso Matos do Paço (born 21 September 1965), also known as Caesar DePaço, is a Portuguese businessman, philanthropist, and former honorary consul for both Portugal and Cape Verde in the United States of America, in Palm Coast, Florida.[2][3] DePaço is the chief executive officer of Summit Nutritionals International, a food-industry company located in both the United States and Portugal.[3][4] Despite his life in America, DePaço never applied for American citizenship, as he describes himself as being very patriotic to Portugal.[5] He once donated money to CHEGA!, a right-wing political party in Portugal.

In 2019, DePaço became an official patron of FC Porto, a major Portuguese football club.[6] In 2020, DePaço became the owner and official patron of professional football club CF Canelas 2010.[7][8] In April 2020, when he announced his intention to invest in Canelas, he said one of the key goals was to move beyond the club's previous reputation for violence, which is in line with his philanthropic work.[9]

Following his tenure as the first – and only – Honorary Consul of Portugal to Florida, DePaço was appointed to the same position representing Cape Verde. In January 2021, he was dismissed following a scandal which led to the resignation of Cape Verde's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luis Filipe Tavares.

In January 2021, his lawyer edited the Wikipedia article about him and threatened legal action if Wikipedia did not remove information DePaço considered fraudulent; this included the sensationalistic portrayal of his one-time donation to CHEGA!.[10][11]

Early life

DePaço was born in Madalena do Pico, Azores on September 21, 1965.[9]

His father was the head of an Azorean finance department and, according to DePaço, his entire childhood was spent in the Azores until he was 11 years old, when he visited the United States, to which he later emigrated in 1994.[5][12]

He currently lives with his wife, Deanna Padovani-DePaço, in New Jersey where he founded Summit Nutritionals International and where he is known for several philanthropic activities, namely associated to the support of security forces of several US states.[13][14][15]

According to the Portuguese newspaper Expresso, DePaço has a degree in psychology and two doctorates. He was also a professor of psychology in Bangkok, Thailand, for four years.[16]

Diplomatic positions

On 3 October 2014, DePaço was appointed as Honorary Consul of the Portuguese Republic in Florida, based out of the city of Palm Coast, an invitation which surprised him.[17][18][5] At the time, this was the only Honorary Consulate, with full powers other than the granting of visas, besides another one in Connecticut.[5] In his position as honorary consul, he used to see more than 30 people a day and was described as a discreet man, known for having declined state aid from Portugal for the Consulate, as he fully paid for the Consulate's expenses, which amounted to half a million dollars a year.[5] In 2017, DePaço organized the first-ever raising of the Portuguese flag at a government building in Florida, at the Palm Coast City Hall.[19]

DePaço was a finalist for the New Jersey Corporate Citizen of the Year award in 2014, for his and his company's dedication to philanthropic works, particularly those in regards to supporting local law enforcement.[20]

In 2020, DePaço became a member of the advisory board for the Portuguese Criminology Association.[21]

In May 2020, DePaço resigned from his position as Honorary Consul, citing irreconcilable differences with the Portuguese Ambassador to the United States, Domingos Fezas Vital, on matters concerning Portuguese national interest and foreign policy, stating that "I leave because I cannot compromise my principles and I will not overlook unacceptable conduct.".[22]

Allegations involving Chega

On 11 January 2021, Portuguese news channel SIC Notícias broadcast a story asserting that DePaço had donated over ten thousand euros to Portugal's Chega party, and highlighted connections of several of its leaders to the DePaço Foundation.[23][24][25] This was controversial in Cape Verde due to Chega's opposition to immigration.[26][27] The day after the SIC story was aired, Cape Verdean Foreign Minister, who had recently appointed DePaço as Honorary Consul of Cape Verde to Florida, resigned.[28][29] DePaço was subsequently dismissed,[30] At the time he was appointed, Cape Verde already had a consul in Florida.[31]

His wife, Deanna Padovani-DePaço, remains as honorary consul of Cape Verde to New Jersey.[32] In an article in January 2021, newspaper "A Nação" questioned the case of a husband and wife being both appointed to as consuls, writing "This is the first time Cape Verde has ever nominated a couple, husband and wife, to consulates in the same country, at once, to different states in the U.S.A".[32]

In late January 2021, DePaço's attorney Rui Barreira told Macao newspaper Ponto Final that DePaço was not dismissed from his position, but resigned on his own initiative on 12 January in order to avoid becoming a subject of controversy in Cabo Verde.[33] Barreira asserted that DePaço paid for the consular activities out of his own pocket.[33] He also said that DePaço's Wikipedia biographies had been the target of malicious editing.[33]

In June 2021, Portuguese-American newspaper LusoAmericano reported that DePaço was suing media outlets Sábado magazine, CMTV and SIC for what he called "attacks on his honour and image, due to the imputation of false facts," specifically that he is the "main financier of Chega," alleging that this claim had come to overshadow his career in international business in the minds of the Portuguese public.[34] DePaço said that he was never a financier of Chega, having made only one donation to the party within legal limits and otherwise uninvolved either as an activist or a party member.[34] He also filed criminal complaints against Cofina, which owns Sábado and CMTV, Cofina director Eduardo Dâmaso and journalist Alexandre Malhado as well as SIC information directors Ricardo Costa and Marta Reis and journalist Pedro Coelho.[34]

DePaço sued Wikipedia and editors.[35][36] The Wikimedia Foundation characterized this as a strategic lawsuit against public participation.[37] In December 2023, the Supreme Court of Portugal issued an order to Wikipedia demanding the removal of certain content that is deemed to be inaccurate. In addition, they also asked for the identification of the editors responsible for that content.[38]

Philanthropy

DePaço has been recognized, primarily across the United States, but also in Europe, for his philanthropic work involving law enforcement in the United States, Portugal, and France.[5][39][40][41][42] His work has primarily centered around sponsoring or donating K-9 dogs to local police forces across the United States and Europe, including the Guarda Nacional Republicana of Portugal and the Police Nationale of France.[43][44][45] Following the November 2015 Paris terrorist attacks, DePaço donated a dog to the French National Police.[46][47][48]

He has been made an honorary police officer by the Daytona Beach Police Department, Point Pleasant Beach PD, Linwood PD, DeLand PD, Beachwood PD, and Holmdel Township PD, primarily for his work in support of police forces across the United States.[49] DePaço has also been made honorary chief of police of Hillsborough Township PD, police commissioner of Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey, deputy sheriff of Bristol County, Massachusetts, as well as an honorary deputy of the sheriff's offices of Flagler County, Florida and Morris County, New Jersey, honorary detective of the Mercer County, New Jersey prosecutor's office and honorary colonel of the Brigham City police department in Utah.[50] In 2021, he was appointed as an honorary sheriff with Somerset County Sheriff’s office.[51] And in August 2023, he accomplished a remarkable milestone by becoming the first civilian personality to grace the cover issue of a prestigious publication dedicated to New Jersey law enforcement. This distinguished honor not only recognizes his exceptional achievements but also underscores his significant contributions to the field.[52] In December 2023, he made history by becoming the first ever Honorary Fanwood Police Officer in the Fanwood police department, New Jersey.[53]

In July 2018, the Municipality of Madalena bestowed its golden key to DePaço, in recognition of his philanthropic work and for his contributions to the Azorean community.[54][55]

In Portugal, he has donated money (16 000 €) to firefighters who were combating fires in a tank-truck without brakes.[5] For Christmas, he has donated to "Obra Social Madre Maria Clara" (Social Work Mother Maria Clara), a charity that welcomes institutionalized children.[5] DePaço is also known for having paid for the expenses of surgeries or treatments of children with cancer or autism.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Despacho n.º 12562/2014 (Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros - Direção-Geral dos Assuntos Consulares e das Comunidades Portuguesas) - Diário da República n.º 198/2014, Série II de 2014-10-14
  2. ↑ Diário de Noticias - Caesar de Paco
  3. 1 2 "Consulates in the US – Embassy of Portugal". www.embassyportugal-us.org. Archived from the original on 15 May 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  4. ↑ "Summit Nutritionals International®". Summit Nutritionals. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Uma vida entre os negócios e a ajuda aos portugueses". www.dn.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  6. ↑ FC Porto - Boxe Azul e Branco Tem Novo Patrocinador
  7. ↑ LusoAmericano - Rescaldo da Breve mas Frutuosa Visita do Cônsul Caesar DePaço a Portugal
  8. ↑ ZeroZero - FC Canelas 2020
  9. 1 2 "Cônsul milionário em Palm Peach quer investir no Canelas". Bancada. 30 April 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  10. ↑ Renascença (26 January 2021). "Wikipédia pressionada a "limpar currículo" de empresário apoiante do Chega - Renascença". Rádio Renascença (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  11. ↑ "Ex-cônsul que quer apagar ligações ao Chega em guerra com a Wikipédia". www.cm-tv.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  12. ↑ Rendeiro, Carolina (10 June 2020). ""Caesar DePaço resigned as consul honorarium in Palm Coast, claiming incompatibility with the Portuguese ambassador in Washington"" (PDF). Portuguese Times. p. 3. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  13. ↑ "OBPD adds new K-9 thanks to a donor | Ormond Beach Observer". Ormond Beach Observer. 30 August 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  14. ↑ Mano, Henrique (25 October 2022). "EUA: Empresário português faz mais um donativo de $10 mil para causa ligada à segurança pública". LusoAmericano. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  15. ↑ Mano, Henrique (10 January 2023). "NEW JERSEY | Empresário Caesar DePaço e esposa reconhecidos no estado de Utah". LusoAmericano. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  16. ↑ Mateus, Cátia (25 April 2014). "The Portuguese who profited from mad cow disease" (PDF). Portugal Global. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  17. ↑ "Portuguese Consulate in Palm Coast - Palm Coast - Palm Coast Observer". 12 June 2016.
  18. ↑ "Message from the Consul".
  19. ↑ Palm Coast Observer - Palm Coast City Hall becomes First in Florida to Raise Portuguese Flag
  20. ↑ "Caesar DePaço, Ph.D. - NJ Corporate Citizen of the Year Finalist - Summit Nutritionals International ®". summitnutritionals.com. Archived from the original on 1 July 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
  21. ↑ Associação Portuguesa de Criminologia - Conselho Consultivo
  22. ↑ Flagler Live - Caesar DePaço, Portugal’s Honorary Consul in Palm Coast Since 2014, Resigns Indignantly
  23. ↑ Carvalho, Miguel (12 January 2021). "Os empresários e as redes que apoiam Ventura" [The businessmen and networks that support Ventura]. Visão (in Portuguese). Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  24. ↑ Coelho, Pedro (11 January 2021). "Grande Reportagem SIC - "A Grande Ilusão: cifrões e outros demónios"". SIC Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  25. ↑ Carvalho, Miguel (21 May 2020). "Chega, SA: por dentro do Reino de "Deus" Ventura". Visão (in Portuguese). No. 1420. pp. 29–39.
  26. ↑ "O Embaixador Político, o Cônsul Honorário e as desculpas de mau pagador - Entrelinhas". santiagomagazine.cv (in Portuguese). Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  27. ↑ "O pior da extrema-direita em Portugal". A Nação (in Portuguese). Retrieved 23 January 2021 – via PressReader.
  28. ↑ "Luís Filipe Tavares pede demissão" [Luís Filipe Tavares resigns]. A Nação (in Portuguese). 12 January 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  29. ↑ "Cabo Verde: Ministro dos Negócios Estrangeiros demite-se depois de polémica com cônsul ligado ao Chega" [Cape Verde: Foreign Minister resigns over controversy with consul with links to Chega]. Observador (in Portuguese). 12 January 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  30. ↑ "Governo vai exonerar Caesar DePaço como Consul na Florida - Política - Início". santiagomagazine.cv (in Portuguese). Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  31. ↑ Almeida, Daniel, "Cônsules-honorários: Cabo Verde tinha dois representantes para o mesmo território nos EUA", A Nação (in Portuguese), retrieved 27 February 2021
  32. 1 2 Almeida, Daniel. "Diplomacia: Cabo Verde apanhado em relações perigosas com a extrema-direita portuguesa" [Diplomacy: Cape Verde caught in dangerous relations with the Portuguese extreme-right]. A Nação (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  33. 1 2 3 "Caesar DePaço pediu exoneração do cargo de cônsul honorário de Cabo Verde". Ponto Final (in Portuguese). 29 January 2021.
  34. 1 2 3 "Businessman Caesar DePaço is suing Portuguese media". LusoAmericano. 7 June 2021.
  35. ↑ jaime (5 May 2021). "PUBLIC CLARIFICATION NOTICE OF CÉSAR De PAÇO • Caesar DePaço". Caesar DePaço. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  36. ↑ "Nota pública de esclarecimento de César do Paço". ionline (in Portuguese). Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  37. ↑ Rogers, Jacob; Choudhary, Kabir (27 July 2023). "High stakes for the Wikimedia projects in Portugal: Fighting a strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP)". Diff. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  38. ↑ "Supremo Tribunal obriga 'Wikipédia' a remover referências a César do Paço". www.cmjornal.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  39. ↑ "N.J. couple treks around U.S. donating K-9 dogs (photos)".
  40. ↑ "Pictures: Bethlehem introduces 2 new police dogs".
  41. ↑ "City of Norfolk - Donation of a K-9 Dog to the City of Norfolk from Dr. Caesar DePaço and Mrs. Deanna Padovani-DePaço".
  42. ↑ Readout, Stacey (18 March 2015). "Portuguese Consulate donates K9 to Flagler Sheriff".
  43. ↑ "K9 'Jax' joins Flagler County Sheriff's Office".
  44. ↑ "Sheriff Jones Assigns New K9 Deputy". Butler County Sheriff's Office. 3 April 2015.
  45. ↑ YourNewsLocal - Peru Police Department K-9 Unit Statistics
  46. ↑ "Cônsul Honorário de Portugal em Palm Coast oferece cão pastor alemão ao governo francês". LusoAmericano (in Portuguese). Newark, New Jersey. 2 December 2015. Archived from the original on 28 May 2016.
  47. ↑ "French National Police Accept Donation of Police K9 - Summit Nutritionals International ®".
  48. ↑ Gerber, Carson. "Dog training facility replaces police dog killed in Paris terror attacks".
  49. ↑ Luso Americano - Caesar DePaço é ‘Agente Honorário’ em Daytona Beach
  50. ↑ "Empresário português Caesar DePaço já recebeu cerca de duas dezenas de títulos honorários de polícias norte-americanas". LusoAmericano. 10 March 2023.
  51. ↑ "2 dogs added to Somerset County Sheriff's Office K-9 Unit with $72K donation". My Central Jersey. 3 December 2021.
  52. ↑ "August 2023 – NJ Cops Magazine". njcopsmagazine.com. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  53. ↑ Mooney, John (5 December 2023). "Philanthropists Named Honorary Police Officers by Borough of Fanwood".
  54. ↑ Consulado de Portugal em Palm Coast - Cônsul Honorário Dr. Caesar DePaço recebe Chave de Honra do Município de Madalena, nos Açores
  55. ↑ Consulado de Portugal em Palm Coast - RTP – Concelho da Madalena homenageia emigrante
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.