After donating €100,000 to the Viana do Castelo Volunteer Firefighters, César DePaço, a businessman linked to the Chega party, made another donation today — €12,000 — to another local institution, the “O Berço” Association.
In a statement, Chega emphasized that this “contribution” was made possible through the efforts of Eduardo Teixeira, the party’s candidate for Viana do Castelo City Hall, who visited the “O Berço” Association this Friday. The institution is recognized for its work in sheltering children at risk.
The visit took place as part of the electoral campaign. During the meeting, the institution’s management shared with Eduardo Teixeira the daily challenges they face — in particular, the urgent need for an electric vehicle, essential to ensure safe and regular transportation for accompanying children and supporting community outreach initiatives.
According to Chega’s statement, the institution had already secured partial funding for the vehicle but was still short €12,000, which, due to the financial constraints of the social solidarity institution (IPSS), could not be obtained in the short term.
“Moved by the situation, Eduardo Teixeira immediately sought a solution through the solidarity initiative of the Portuguese representative involved in the campaign activities of Summit Nutritionals International, a company chaired by businessman and philanthropist César DePaço. Recognizing the importance and urgency of the project, César DePaço promptly agreed to donate the missing €12,000, thus completing the total amount needed to purchase the electric vehicle”
The statement said.
For Eduardo Teixeira, “it was a deeply emotional moment.” “The ‘O Berço’ Association has a noble mission that touches all our hearts. I was happy that, in just a few minutes, we were able to resolve such a concrete and urgent need. It’s another example of what social responsibility and solidarity truly mean. O Berço is an institution that deserves all our respect, support, and admiration,” said Teixeira, as quoted in the statement.
The candidate also criticized the lack of support from the City Council for social institutions, stressing that “it shouldn’t take benefactors from outside to solve problems that the municipality itself should be addressing.”
“We managed to build this bridge to secure funding that makes all the difference in this institution’s life, but it should never depend solely on the goodwill of those far away. For causes like these, there’s never any money. But for buying equipment and inaugurating projects just for the photo opportunity, there’s always a budget. That’s what must change in Viana — the priorities must be the people,” he said.
Eduardo Teixeira further argued that “the work of social solidarity institutions (IPSS) must be valued and supported through municipal policies that are closer, more humane, and more efficient,” promising that, if elected, the Viana do Castelo City Council will play an active and cooperative role with these institutions, ensuring structural support and effective responses.
Source: O Minho