Portugal to Present Literary Award to Brazilian Writer Chico Buarque, Despite Bolsonaro Demurrer

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Portugal’s Ministry of Culture is trying to be diplomatic after President Jair Bolsonaro declared that he would not sign the Camões Award diploma until December 2026, long after Brazilian writer Chico Buarque was awarded the prize.

The international award is jointly sponsored by Portugal and Brazil and the Portuguese Ministry of Culture told Radio France Internationale (RFI) on Thursday, October 9th, that “the award ceremony takes place in 2020 in Portugal”.

The press officer of the Portuguese Ministry of Culture, Rita Guerra, reiterates the same briefing to numerous journalists who have not ceased calling the institution on Wednesday seeking information. As the award-winning writer’s meeting of 2019 took place in Rio de Janeiro, the rule is that the Camões Award ceremony takes place in Portugal.

“At this time, we are trying to find a date that is convenient for all parties,” said Rita Guerra. The date of April 2020, announced by the Brazilian press, was an initial suggestion from Chico Buarque but has not yet been confirmed.

An advisor of the Ministry of Culture did not wish to comment any further, but she suggested that despite the fact that President Jair Bolsonaro did not sign the document, this would not prevent the ceremony from being held.

Chico Buarque celebrated

The Brazilian president is not hiding his disaffection with Chico Burque, one of the PT’s strongest supporters, a militant for the release of former President Lula, and a critic of Bolsonaro’s government.

The writer and left-wing composer was not affected by the president’s threat — quite the opposite. “The fact that Bolsonaro did not sign the document is for me a second Camões Award,” said Chico Buarque in his Instagram account.

The Camões Literature Award is the most prestigious in the Portuguese language. It was established in 1988 by the Portuguese and Brazilian governments, but it also rewards authors from Angola, São Tomé e Príncipe, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau, and East Timor. Each year a Portuguese-speaking writer is acclaimed for their work as a whole.

In addition to the symbolic diploma, Camões awards a sum of €100,000 (R$453,000) to its winner. The reward is paid jointly by the Portuguese and Brazilian governments. Portugal has already deposited its 50 percent and Brazil should have deposited its share in June this year.

Source: UOL