Portuguese people living in the New England region of the US told Lusa they were surprised by the case of Jack Teixeira, arrested on suspicion of disclosing confidential military documents, but denied their concerns.
A Portuguese photographer who lives near North Dighton – where Jack Teixeira lived – who preferred to speak to Lusa on the condition of anonymity, said he quickly associated the nickname “Teixeira” with Portuguese ancestry and this caused some surprise, but argued that the community was not concerned about this factor.
“He will certainly be a young man of second or third generation Portuguese descent and will not have much connection with Portugal anymore,” he said.
Another Portuguese woman who preferred not to identify herself felt that if Jack Teixeira was involved in the Portuguese community, participating in Portuguese clubs or social events, the concern might be greater.
However, and allowing for the possibility that he is of second- or third-generation Portuguese descent, “many of the customs and ties to the Portuguese language may have already been lost”, he noted.
Jack Teixeira’s mother, Dawn, who runs a flower shop next to their home in North Dighton, has already divorced the young suspect’s father, according to the American press.
“It appears that Jack’s parents separated when he was very young. Growing up with a non-Portuguese stepfather would weaken his connection to the Portuguese community even further. Given his stepfather’s name, Tom Dufault, this would could be a possibility.” , added the Portuguese.
Since the arrest of her son, a 21-year-old member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, on suspicion of disclosing classified military documents, several people have taken to the florist’s Facebook page to make negative comments about the case.
Lusa has verified with Jack Teixeira’s childhood home that the deal is currently closed.
“This is a situation that we are clearly monitoring,” said Secretary of State for Portuguese Communities
Throughout the day, several people passed by this family’s home – in a forest area – to take pictures or to make some comments about the whole situation.
“I feel sorry for this family, these parents, who are now involved in this case. We didn’t think something like this would happen in this quiet little town,” said a North Dighton resident. who rode with her husband and who stopped on the spot to talk to journalists.
The Secretary of State for Portuguese Communities said today that the Portuguese consular services have no record of Jack Teixeira, a Portuguese descendant and member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, who is being held on suspicion of disclosing confidential military documents.
“This is a situation that we have clearly been monitoring. The truth is that this person, and the news has become public, we do not have anyone in our consular records by the name of Jack Teixeira, we do not have that. This is factual, therefore, is not registered as a Portuguese citizen with that name,” said Paulo Cafôfo, whointerrogated by Lusa on the margins of his visit to the Cape Verdean island of São Vicente.
Jack Teixeira, 21, is suspected of releasing highly classified documents with international implications, which report espionage actions by the United States of America on allies and enemies and sensitive data from military secret services about the war in Ukraine.
Source: DN
