Ronald DePinho, who received the honour of Commander in the Military Order of Santiago de Espada, has run the renowned MD Anderson Cancer Centre, at the University of Texas, in Houston, the United States since 2011.
In turn, António Pargana is a shareholder in a range of companies that make him a player in the Brazilian import and export market as head of Cisa Trading S.A., the company he founded, and became a Grand Officer in the Order of Infante D. Henrique.
Pedro Gadanho, who the president made a Commander in the Order of Infante D. Henrique, is an architect, curator and writer who spent many years in New York as curator of Contemporary Architecture at MoMa before having recently returned to take over as director of programming at the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology of the EDP Foundation.
In his speech, President Cavaco Silva paid honour to the respective achievements of the three, for example pointing out how Pargana, from the Algarve like the president, had never forgotten his roots and also invested back in his country of birth.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice also reported that 93 requests for clemency had this year gone before the president for his consideration.
Every year prior to Christmas, the president traditionally grants such clemency for specific circumstances.
Last year Cavaco Silva granted three such acts of mercy as regards expulsion orders stating humanitarian grounds.
In 2014 a total of 1,224 requests for clemency were submitted while in 2013 Cavaco Silva granted two such requests out of the 251 put before him.