Vicente Camacho, Northern Mariana Islands businessman and politician, Died at 86

  Politician

Vicente T. Camacho was born on April 5, 1929, and died on January 2, 2016.
He was a Northern Mariana Islands politician, public servant, and businessman.
He was a member of the Marianas Political Status Commission from 1972 to 1976.
Vicente Camacho negotiated the 1975 Commonwealth Covenant, which established the political union between the Northern Mariana Islands and the United States.
He was a signatory of the Covenant, has been called one of the “founding fathers” of the Commonwealth Covenant and the present government of the Northern Mariana Islands.
He started his political career as a member of the Saipan Municipal Legislature.
He went onto the serve as the speaker of the Municipal Legislature from 1970 until 1975.
Camacho served as a member of the Marianas Political Status Commission from 1972 until 1976.
The commission, led by chairman Edward D.L.G. Pangelinan, negotiated the Commonwealth Covenant, which established the present political union with the United States.
Camacho signed the Covenant on February 15, 1975.
The Covenant recognized the sovereignty of the United States over the Northern Mariana Islands, but established certain limitations to the union.
Other than public politics, he established the Marianas Printing Services.
He served as the business’ manager and vice president until his retirement in 1985.
He was an advocate of tourism in the Northern Mariana Islands.
The minister participated in the establishment of the Marianas Visitors Bureau, now called the Marianas Visitors Authority, the territory’s official destination marketing organization.
Contribution to the improve safety at tourist attractions, Vicente successfully proposed fences, concrete barriers and other structures.
Vicente spoke fluent Japanese, helped to develop the Northern Mariana Islands as a major vacation destination for Japanese tourists.
Vicente worked to improve the Japanese-Northern Mariana Islands, relations extended to cultural and educational exchanges.
He also oversaw the creation of the Ocean University Student Exchange, also called the Wakai Neko Nekai, which created cultural exchanges between students from Japan and the Northern Mariana Islands.
In the year 1998, he partnered with two of his children, Lillian, and Julie, to open Bencam Enterprises, a family business which offered wedding, funeral, floral and rental services.
Vicente remained president of the business until 2014.
The Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council has honored Vicente Camacho and the other members of the Political Status Commission with a resolution in 2004.
He left behind his wife, Rita Reyes Duenas, and their three children, Lillian, Norbert and Julie.
Vicente Camacho passed away at 86 yrs old.