NGOs denounces the Brazilian Lula’s government discrimination against Mestizos

04/05/2006

Manaus, Amazon, Brazil – Various non-governmental organizations had presented, on April 5, 2006, denunciation to the Federal Public Prosecution Service against Lula’s government. The Brazilian racial government is acussed of practice of racial discrimination against Mestizo population. The organizations request the Federal Public Prosecution Service investigates the Special Secretariat for the Promotion of Racial Equality (SEPPIR) and that the Mestizo participation be guaranteed, through its social movements, in the Regional and in the National Meeting of the Intergovernamental Forum for the Promotion of Racial Equality (FIPIR) which are occurring in this year.  They also require that the Federal Public Prosecution Service investigates the reason of the Preparatory Reunion for Regional North Meeting have occurred in Brasilia, on March 31, and not in a state of the North of the country, that, thus, received a treatment distinct from other regions of the country, where the preparatory meetings had occurred in the proper regions.  The NGOs also desires to know whay the Amazon State is one of the three only states where it did not have implantation of the FIPIR. Only the Amazons State sent a Mestizo delegation, on 2005, to 1st National Conference for Promotion of Igualdade Racial (CONAPIR) and, on March 21, 2006, it officially recognized the Mestizo identity. Also they had required to the Federal Public Prosecution Service that investigated the fact of, until the present, the National Council for Promotion of Racial Equality (CNPIR) not to have answered to the petition of the Mestizo Movement requesting a seat for the Mestizo representation in this council. Also was denounced the absence of public politics for Mestizo population in the official announcement of the National Plan for Promotion of Racial Equality, that included the Black, Native, Gypsy, Jewish, Arab and Palestinian populations.