Lula abolishes Bolsonaro’s version of the Rouanet Law and removes mention of sacred art

The Ministry of Culture published, this Friday (24), a new decree that regulates cultural promotion in the country, overturning a 2021 decree by the government of Jair Bolsonaro (PL) that made explicit mention of sacred art in the Rouanet Law.

In Bolsonaro’s version, the regulation provided that a representative of sacred art and another of fine arts should be present on the commission that judges the projects benefited by the Rouanet Law. The change made by the PT management portfolio does not exclude the possibility that representatives of this segment are appointed.

Another change is the strengthening of the role of the National Commission for Cultural Incentives (Cnic), which assesses whether or not the projects presented can raise government funds. Mario Frias, Bolsonaro’s Secretary of Culture, did not extinguish this commission, but had reduced its relevance in the decisions of the former Secretariat. There is a strong ideological charge in such collegiate bodies.

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The new decree, signed this Thursday (23), establishes general rules and procedures for direct cultural promotion, such as the Paulo Gustavo Law, the Aldir Blanc and Cultura Viva Law, and, in indirect promotion, the Rouanet Law.

It will be mandatory that the projects attend at least one representative of the art and culture of the native peoples and a representative who acts in the fight against prejudice. Programs, projects and cultural actions will need to be submitted to Cnic, which will assess whether they meet these requirements. The Commission will analyze whether the actions are relevant or not.

Another measure of the new decree is the stimulus “to the protagonism of cultural agents and teams composed” by indigenous peoples, blacks, people with disabilities, transsexuals, quilombolas, nomadic populations and gypsies. The expansion of participation of these groups will be through quotas, with different scoring criteria, specific notices or, according to the decree, “any other form of affirmative action that guarantees participation and protagonism, observing the local reality, the social organization of the group, where applicable, and the legislation”.

In addition, the multi-year model also returns, that is, cultural projects can be carried out for a period of up to four years. With the publication of new cultural measures, the PT government also revoked Decree 10.755/2021, published during the management of Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

Another alleged objective of the new decree is the better distribution of resources in the regions of Brazil, through public notices. According to the government, there will be an expansion of investment in the Northeast, North and Midwest regions.