Montevideo, Jul 2 (EFE).- The Ministry of Social Development of Uruguay (MIDES) on Monday launched the Black Heritage Month, an initiative that aims to expose and fight against racial discrimination and will feature a series of activities throughout July.
A member of the Racial Equity Policies work group and head of the Human Rights Department of MIDES, Miguel Pereira, was among the participants who joined the inauguration of the campaign along with other authorities and the mayor of Montevideo, Daniel Martinez.
Pereira told EFE that Black Heritage Month is an initiative of the Racial Equity Policies work group, created by a presidential resolution in 2017 and working under MIDES.
This activity is part of the three events that will be celebrated in July along with the commemoration of Nelson Mandela International Day, on Jul. 18, and the International Day of the Afro-Latin American and Caribbean Woman, on Jul. 25.
According to Pereira, it is estimated that around 10 percent of the population in Uruguay is of African descent, based on the information from the Continuous Household Survey (ECH) in 2006, which included race and ethnicity variables.
Within the framework of Black Heritage Month, a National Plan for Racial Equity will be launched on Jul. 20 and will culminate by the end of the year.