‘I’m evangelical, but the state is secular’, says Manauscult news president when promising support for Afro and indigenous issues

Gabriel Abreu – from Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – The lawyer Osvaldo Cardoso is expected to take office as president of Municipal Foundation of Culture, Tourism and Events (Manauscult) on Monday, 10, and anticipated priorities of his management, in an exclusive interview to CENARIUM MAGAZINE, in which he reaffirmed the commitment to identity issues of African matrix and indigenous ancestry, regardless of their faith. Osvaldo Cardoso is an evangelical.

The new president of Manauscult confirmed one of the most important events in the capital of Amazonas, the “Sou Manaus” Festival, which will take place on September 3, 4 and 5, with 12 national attractions, attending a range of cultural diversity. Cardoso replaces the lawyer Alonso Oliveira, who assumed the mandate of councilman in the City Council of Manaus (CMM). To CENARIUM MAGAZINE, he explained how he intends to boost tourism and culture in the largest capital of the Amazon. Read, in full, the interview.

Read also: Hatoum says Lula and Dilma’s governments promoted cultural inclusion: ‘Results are showing up’

CENARIUM MAGAZINE: You are a lawyer, cultural activist, and political articulator with more than ten years of experience. What will be your priorities in the first 50 days of your administration?

OSVALDO CARDOSO: For the next 50 days of Manauscult, we are talking to the sector. We want to bring Manauscult closer to the cultural sector, and the former president paved a work road, and we will give the celerity that the Manaus City Hall wants and the mayor demands, bringing culture closer to the population. We are already talking to some sectors, so that we have, within 15 days, an outline of what we are going to do immediately. The Folkloric Festival of Amazonas is coming up and we want to work on it in a professional way, bringing the population of Manaus to enjoy it as we used to. In the heyday, in my childhood, we used to go to the Folkloric Festival of Amazonas, it was a date we looked forward to, and I want to bring this back to our capital, bring back these good memories and make this good coexistence of culture with the population.

CM– You take office as the new director-president of Manauscult next Monday, 10th, but you are already having several meetings with artists and technical staff of the folder. Next Wednesday, the 12th, you are going to Brasília. What is the agenda you will fulfill in the federal capital? What are your objectives with this visit?

OC – The mayor gave us this honorable mission and set the date for Monday. I am going to Brasília on Wednesday, I have a meeting at the Ministry of Culture, at the Ministry of Tourism and at the National Cinema Agency (Ancine), and there is a meeting at the Congress, with the president of the CMO, at the Mixed Budget Commission, which is congressman Celso Sabino (União Brasil), which is to bring resources to Manaus. Let’s make a test, bring Manaus closer to the federal government, the election is over. The platform was undone and who needs to have full attention, at this moment, is the population. We can’t run a municipal administration without the support of the federal government. This has to be clear to the population. Manaus is a state city with a municipal budget. We need this interaction with the federal government and I am going there to pave bridges that the mayor has already started. The mayor is also very articulate with senator Omar Aziz and with the federal bench. We are friends of the federal government and we need the government’s reciprocity with us.

CM – Despite all the tourist potential, Manaus still has serious difficulties in putting into practice strategies to develop this activity. How do you plan to foment tourism in the capital of Amazonas?

OC – We have a very interesting planning in relation to tourism. We have several adjectives to be a powerful capital in relation to tourism. We already have the “Manaus Adventure” project, which brings the issue of adventure tourism with fishing. We have a great potential for sport fishing tourism. I myself am a sport fisherman. We have the infrastructure for this to happen and, moreover, to create in the people of tourism the preparation for them to have that feeling that we have when we arrive in Fortaleza, where the person at the stall treats you in a warm way, showing you what they have, teaching the manauara how to sell Manaus, how to sell culture, how to sell tourism, because this foments the economy, and that is what we all want.

CM – One of the main entrance gates to the city and tourist route is the Manaus Moderna, which, currently, has a big infrastructure problem. Are there plans to discuss, with the State and other agencies of the Manaus City Hall, the reform of that region?

OC – Certainly, Manauscult has its doors open. I believe, I heard, I cannot tell you for sure, that our secretary [of Infrastructure], an excellent secretary, by the way, Renato Júnior, has already been working on a project for Manaus Moderna, together with the Municipal Institute of Urban Planning (Implurb), and we, from Manauscult, are at your disposal to do it with many hands, for the city of Manaus, because the population deserves this beautiful and attractive postcard.

CM – One of the biggest events promoted by Manauscult is the “Sou Manaus – Step by Step”. The Manaus City Hall foresees an investment of R$ 6 million to hold the festival this year, and there is information about the participation of national artists. When will the event take place? What is new this year?

OC – So, I will privilege you with the dates that have already been set, September 3, 4 and 5. The dates are already set, there will be 12 attractions. When the time is right, the mayor will announce these attractions; I guarantee you that the population will like them very much. And, yes, we will invest more than R$ 6 million in “Sou Manaus”. I suggested and the mayor found it very interesting, but this is his decision, the name Sou Manaus – the capital of the Amazon or the Capital of the Forest. I think that it is a name that, as we are in the heart of the Amazon, we have to sell this to the outside world. I want, with the support of everyone, the support of the press, the support of the population, to place Manaus in the scenario and in the corridor of the biggest events in Brazil.

CM – The “Sou Manaus” is an opportunity to promote tourism and culture in the region of the Historic Center of the city, but there are other areas beyond that. What projects do you intend to implement to decentralize and take culture to the more distant regions of the Center and South Zone?

OC – Of course, I completely agree. This issue is already an ongoing project, which is the Itinerant Culture. We are planning to strengthen this in the East Zone and in the North Zone. We want to take culture to the outskirts of Manaus. We can see, in a simple passage, a lot of good people in the outskirts of Manaus; these people need an opportunity. We are going to warm up “Sou Manaus” and we are going to take attractions to the East Zone, North Zone, and pump Manaus with events.

CM – Manauscult has projects for artists from communities that develop social projects in these communities. Are there any calls for proposals?

OC – Yes, there is, including, an open call, which closes now, on April 30th, that is, precisely, for this, and we are bringing resources to potentiate this, to create a culture in the population of Manaus. We have a very rich history, we have a beautiful Center; I want to bring the will to go there, you know? So, I am already scheduling a meeting with the Manaus Chamber of Shopkeepers (CDL). We need the support of the private sector in relation to this, because otherwise we cannot make this happen. The project is beautiful, but there comes a moment when we have to get it off the paper.

CM – Two important laws came into effect, in Brazil, to foment the cultural sector, which are the Paulo Gustavo and Aldir Blanc 2. The Paulo Gustavo Law alone should inject more than 17 million in the city’s culture. Is there already an interlocution with representatives of the working groups for the follow-up and implementation of the Paulo Gustavo and Aldir Blanc 2 Laws?

OC – Yes, there is. We are talking to the Municipal Council of Culture (Concultura) so that we can give the necessary attention to this, to facilitate the accessibility to these edicts. I, personally, will participate in all the council meetings, so that I can understand what the wishes of the cultural and artistic class of our city are. So, there is already this interlocution and we are going to potentiate this. We will take culture to the periphery.

CM – You are an evangelical and the Manaus City Hall, with the new management, intensified the presence of gospels artists in the events. On the other hand, last year there was criticism that there was a difficulty, on the part of Manauscult, in holding events of religions of African matrix. How will Manauscult support these events during your administration?

OC – Thank you very much for the opportunity, I was dying to talk about this. Yes, I am an evangelical, but our State is secular. So, I received, with great joy, yesterday, the support of Balaio de Oxum, formally. And we will give total attention to the events of the religions of African matrix, since the Iemanjá festival. I have already talked to them, I have already made a commitment with them. I believe that it is necessary, and I think that this is the moment in Brazil, to unite people. This tension is over, the rivalry is over, and we want to have everyone on our side so that Manaus can grow the way it needs and deserves.

CM – What are the cultural projects focused on indigenous identity issues? Are there already plans to work with what the native peoples have been doing?

OC – This is one of the important guidelines of the administration of Mayor David Almeida, the valorization and recognition of indigenous cultures in Manaus. One of the projects of great significance is the Memorial of the Indigenous Village of Manaus. Currently, we are developing training workshops in several communities, the preparations for the 3rd Indigenous Art Exhibition and the support to the indigenous entities that fight for the rights of the populations living in Manaus. We also highlight that the Municipal Plan of Culture foresees a series of actions in favor of the indigenous people, such as the recognition of their traditions, the right to the preservation of their memory, and public policies to improve the living conditions of the native populations of Manaus. With the Paulo Gustavo [Law], part of the resources will be destined to them.

CM – What are the final considerations that you want to leave for the population to know about your management from now on, in an important portfolio that is Manauscult?

OC – I want to ask the population of Manaus to expect good things. The mayor of Manaus, David Almeida, is very excited about this year, which I think is a year of reconstruction, I think it is the year that we have, in fact, without the phantom of the pandemic to scare us. I want to calm the population, to say that we will be able to deliver everything they need and deserve, and Manauscult has its doors open to the cultural and artistic class. We will do great things, together, for Manaus.