Brazilian Foreign Ministry Excludes 47 Individuals Who Self-Identified As Black From Contest

09/12/2016 - 11h44

The commission responsible for verifying the declarations of candidates who self-identify as black and enter the contest to be admitted into a diplomatic track denied 47 of the 100 individuals who appeared for the interview.

60 slots had been reserved for that group in the following round.

The list, while not yet final, has caused controversy among diplomats and aspiring diplomats alike, who see the resulting exclusion of racially mixed people from the selection, among other controversies.

The black sector -53.6% of the population, according to a Pnad (National Household Sample Survey) study from 2014- is made up of black (8.6%) and mixed (45%) individuals.

A few of the individuals rejected by the commission had been beneficiaries of the the Rio Branco Institute's own Affirmative Action Program: the project grants R$ 25,000 (US$7,000) scholarships to individuals who self-identify as black and pass an objective test with panel verification.

This is the case of federal public servant Danilo Silvério, who participated in the program during five different years -2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011- the maximum allowed. In all, Silvério received R$ 125,000 (US$ 38,000) in federal funds, not including allowances for travel associated with the program.

"All of society sees you as black, but a panel specifically created for that does not?", Silvério told Folha. If his appeal is not successful, Silvério -whose score would qualify him for the general competition- will be excluded.

This is a according to a recent order from the Ministry of Planning, which approves elimination in cases of "false" declarations, "without prejudice to any other liability".

After the results of the first phase, the deadline was extended so that self identifying blacks could retract their declarations.

Nonetheless, Silvério and the majority of the other candidates who had already received a passing grade, maintained their commitment to compete for the slots.

Demanded by the black movement itself, the verification committees aim to prevent cases such as the one seen with Rio doctor Mathias Abramovic. White with green eyes, Matias caused outrage when he enrolled as a grantee and declared himself an "afrodescendant" during a time when verifications were not conducted.

Diplomats who spoke to Folha say that, in its attempt to bar those who identify as black out of convenience, the commission excluded mixed individuals.

Translated by SUGHEY RAMIREZ

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