POLICE AGAINST MESTIZOS IN BRAZIL

08/17/2005

Policemen were called to intimidate Mestizo movement representatives in the meeting for installation of the State Forum "Education and Ethinic-Racial Diversity" (Fórum Estadual "Educação e Diversidade Étnico-Racial"), occured in Manaus, State of Amazonas, in Brazil, on August 15-17th, 2005, in the State University of the Amazonas (UEA - Universidade do Estado do Amazonas). The Mestizo movement representatives was not invited for the meeting that is sponsored by the Ministry of the Education (Ministério da Educação) of the Lula's government and by SEDUC - Education and Culture State Secretariat (Secretaria de Estado de Educação e Cultura); they discover the meeting by chance when a member of the Caboco Candiru Movement (Movimento Caboco Candiru) went to local for another purpose. In a documment entitled "Amazon Letter" ("Carta do Amazonas"), passed without the approval of the assembly, the words "Mestizo" and "Caboclo" (a Mestizo of Native and White ascendance, the majority of the local population) was excluded under protest of the Mestizo movement. Was not the first time that policemen are called to repress Mestizos in meetings that treats the Lula's policy for racial and ethnics matters.