Honorary Consulate of Portugal, Florida

The Honorary Consulate of Portugal in Palm Coast was an ad honorem diplomatic mission of Portugal in Florida, United States.[1] Based in Palm Coast, the honorary consulate had jurisdiction over the State of Florida.[2] The first and only honorary consul was Caesar DePaço, from 2014 to 2020.[3]

Honorary Consulate of Portugal in Palm Coast
LocationPalm Coast, Florida,
United States
Address145 City Place
Palm Coast, Florida 32164
United States
Inaugurated3 October 2014
Closed14 May 2020

History

The honorary consulate was created on October 3, 2014, with the appointment of Portuguese businessman Caesar DePaço as the "Consul ad honorem of the Portuguese Republic in the State of Florida".[4][5] The honorary consulate's premises were opened in April 2015.[6] DePaço chose to refuse his stipend from the Portuguese Government and instead funded the honorary consulate entirely, as a gift to the Portuguese people.[7]

In 2015, the honorary consulate received its first visit by the Secretary of State for the Portuguese Communities.[8]

Since 2015, the honorary consulate has helped to organize the Portugal Day celebrations each year on Palm Coast.[9][10] At the 2017 celebrations, the honorary consul raised the Portuguese flag at a government building, for the first time in the history of Florida.[11]

In 2017, the honorary consulate received the first official visit of the Portuguese Ambassador in Washington, Domingos Fezas Vital,[12] as well as a visit from parliamentarian Teresa Morais, former Minister of Culture.[13]

The honorary consulate's 2018 celebrations of Portugal Day were attended by Secretary of the Assembly of the Republic Duarte Pacheco.[14]

In 2018, DePaço was recognized and honored by Rick Scott, then-Governor of Florida, for his work with the Portuguese communities of Florida.[15]

The honorary consul met with Carlos A. Giménez, Mayor of Miami-Dade, in 2018, as part of the honorary consulate's outreach with the communities in the state of Florida.[16]

In May 2020, DePaço resigned from his position of Honorary Consul.

List of honorary consuls
Portrait Honorary Consul Term start Term end Appointed by
Caesar DePaço
 3 October 2014 14 May 2020 Rui Machete[17]

References
  1. Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros: Portal das Comunidades - Estados Unidos da América
  2. Consulado Honorário de Portugal em Palm Coast - Área de Jurisdição
  3. Consulate of Portugal in Palm Coast - Team
  4. "Portuguese Consulate in Palm Coast - Palm Coast - Palm Coast Observer". 12 June 2016.
  5. "Message from the Consul".
  6. Daytona Beach News Journal - Officials Celebrate Opening of Portuguese Consulate in Palm Coast
  7. Diário de Notícias - Cônsul Honorário Caesar DePaço – Uma vida entre os negócios e a ajuda aos portugueses
  8. Palm Coast Observer - Portuguese Secretary of State of Community visits Portuguese Consulate in Palm Coast
  9. Consulado de Portugal em Palm Coast - Portugal Day 2015
  10. "City of Palm Coast - Join City of Palm Coast for Portugal Day flag-raising event on June 7". Archived from the original on 2019-12-11. Retrieved 2019-12-11.
  11. Palm Coast Observer - Palm Coast City Hall becomes First in Florida to Raise Portuguese Flag
  12. "Consulado de Portugal em Palm Coast - Embassador [sic] of Portugal Visits the Portuguese Community of Palm Coast, Florida"
  13. Consulado de Portugal em Palm Coast - Deputada Teresa Morais visitou instalações do Consulado Honorário
  14. Consulado de Portugal em Palm Coast - Convidado de honra do Sr. Cônsul nas celebrações do Dia De Portugal, em Palm Coast na Flórida
  15. Consulado de Portugal em Palm Coast - Hon. Consul of Portugal for the State of Florida Caesar DePaço, Community Affairs Attaché Maria João Ávila and Chief Paul Kaminsky, at the Governor’s Mansion, with Florida’s Governor Rick Scott and First Lady.
  16. Consulado de Portugal em Palm Coast - Cônsul Honorário de Portugal recebido em audiência pelo mayor de Miami-Dade County
  17. 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
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