As part of the commemorations of 20 years of existence, the United Movement of Street Vendors (MUCA) held today (30), at 6 pm, in the center of Rio de Janeiro, the inauguration of the Reference Center for Street Vendors of Rio de Janeiro. The location aims to value and help the category, received support from the Brazil Human Rights Fund and the National Forum for Urban Reform and operates in an occupied property on Rua Marechal Floriano. The space will have social functions and intends to receive workers for meetings, provide legal assistance, help with registrations at the city hall, offer training courses and organize the administrative part of the movement. Psychological support is also being provided to street vendors, especially after the pandemic. According to Maria de Lourdes do Carmo, coordinator and founder of MUCA, in an interview with Agência Brasil, she said that “with the opening we will be ready to provide all the necessary assistance, welcome and organize the category”. There is a project to expand the services provided and include application delivery people, giving them a place to rest, stop for lunch and charge their cell phones, added Maria, better known as Maria dos Camelôs. In addition, the site will promote events to generate funds and will house a small museum with documentation telling the story of street vendors and MUCA. “The space will serve as a research base for students who are doing their master’s and doctoral degrees, and we’ve even had many visits for this purpose. We already have some finished theses in our collection, with photos and books,” said Maria. Founded in 2003, with the aim of amplifying the voices of street vendors, MUCA has survived for 20 years fighting against the criminalization of the category, for the regularization of workers, for the organized occupation of public spaces, for human rights and the right to work. The movement became an important popular organization in the struggle to defend street vendors in Rio de Janeiro. “We need to continue this project that will help our category that is so neglected and marginalized by the public authorities. Where they do not act, MUCA will act”. Finished the coordinator. Maria dos Camelôs will also be awarded the Chiquinha Gonzaga Medal, an honor created by the City Council of Rio de Janeiro with the aim of honoring female personalities who have recognizedly stood out in favor of democratic, humanitarian, artistic and cultural causes. The presence of representatives of entities and institutions such as the Observatório das Metrópoles, the Ombudsman of the Public Defender’s Office, the Popular University Legal Advice Nucleus (NAJUP), the Center for Studies on Worker’s Health and Human Ecology (Cesteh/Fiocruz), Global Justice and the Union National Association of Teachers of Higher Education Institutions (ANDES-SN). *Intern supervised by Vinícius Lisboa.
Agência Brasil
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