Mendes chose to follow his conscience over his career, declaring, "I would rather stand with God against Man than with Man against God." The Visa Factory
Aristides de Sousa Mendes, the Portuguese consul in Bordeaux during WWII, is the "Portuguese Wallenberg." In June 1940, defying direct orders from his government, he issued thousands of visas to refugees fleeing Nazi-occupied France. O CГґnsul de BordГ©us - ainda sem legenda
In 2021, he was granted a monument in Lisbon’s National Pantheon. Mendes chose to follow his conscience over his
He was recalled to Lisbon, stripped of his diplomatic rank, and denied his pension. Legacy of Honor defying direct orders from his government
The Portuguese regime (Estado Novo) explicitly banned visas for "undesirables," including Jews and stateless persons.