Amid the Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions adopted in different parts of Brazil, Itamaraty rescheduled the diplomat’s admission competition for Sunday (13). Before, the test was to be applied on May 30.
The postponement, the second of this cycle, was announced on May 28 and was justified by decrees that restricted a range of activities, such as the operation of universities, and even the ban on the exam in the states of Pernambuco, Alagoas and Maranhão and in the city of Curitiba.
The date change caused confusion among applicants, as some places have maintained the restrictions, applicants from five capitals will have to travel to another city to complete the competition. The change was disclosed in the Official Journal of the Union on Tuesday (8), five days after the date of the race.
The candidates who will be affected by the change are those who have registered to take the exam in Curitiba, Teresina, Maceió, Recife and João Pessoa. Now, according to the advice, they should move to Pinhais (PR), São Luís, Aracaju and, in the case of the last two, Natal.
The last minute notice generated complaints due to the tight deadline for arranging travel and accommodation. Checks on airfare websites on Tuesday showed round-trip tickets with prices ranging from R $ 2,300 on the section between Recife and Natal to R $ 4,000 between São Luís and Teresina.
Traveling by land also means long journeys on the road – it is about 200 km between João Pessoa and Natal and 450 km between São Luís and Teresina. Only the change from Curitiba was to a city really close, since Pinhais (PR) is located in the metropolitan region of the capital of Paraná.
This change is not certain, however. The notice itself provides for an alternative city, in case it is not possible to take the exam at the location indicated as the second option – which, in theory, is valid for Sunday.
According to reports from Folha, those registered in Curitiba were given an address in São José dos Pinhais (PR) as the location of the test, and not in Pinhais (PR), both in the metropolitan area. On Thursday, the city was changed to São José dos Pinhais in a statement with the candidate addresses leaked by the American Development Institute (IADES), responsible for the review.
According to the notice, “in case of force majeure or force majeure”, the test can be taken in these alternative cities, and candidates will be notified by e-mail or SMS on their mobile phone. The text, however, does not say how far in advance this can happen.
In four of the five cities affected by the move, the competition would revert to the participant’s home city. The exception is Curitiba, which in case the test cannot be applied to Pinhais (PR), applicants must travel to Florianópolis.
The main grievance, reported by a candidate on condition of anonymity, is the difficulty of organizing in the midst of so much uncertainty, precisely in the last week before the test, which hinders studies. The participant also criticizes what he described as incompetence of the ministry, since the STF (Federal Supreme Court) authorized the holding of competitions on May 21, and that the governor of Pernambuco, Paulo Câmara (PSB), authorized the holding of an OAB test. Sunday, after meeting the entity.
A demonstration at the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPF) was made by another participant, who also refused to be identified. Through its help, the MPF indicated that it would not comment on the postponement of the test, but asked this Wednesday (9) for a position from the Rio Branco Institute within 24 hours.
The chances that the competition will be suspended to create unequal conditions between the candidates are however few, according to Ricardo Macao, professor of constitutional and international law in preparatory course for the Itamaraty test.
“Although there is an argumentative line regarding the possibility of loss, as there are candidates in Brazil who will pass the test without spending too much, I find it very difficult for the judiciary to accept the argument. according to which, due to a violation of isonomy, the competition should be canceled at the national level, ”he assesses.
According to Macau, the court can argue that there is the possibility of not taking the test this year and that by registering the candidate has assumed the risk and the investment. “It’s unfortunate, but it’s something that must be taken into consideration, because it is part of the principle of reasonableness [adoção de padrões esperados]», Explains the professor. “This contest has traditionally been held every year, it did not take place last year due to the pandemic.”
There is no hierarchy between equality and reasonableness, Macau says, and “if the biggest gain is to pass the competition and allow the positions to be filled, even if some candidates do not pass the competition. examination, it seems that equality loses room and reason will prevail “.
When Itamaraty rescheduled the competition earlier this year, the professor told Folha that a career as a diplomat was lacking in professionals. “Today, the staff have only been replacements, there are no new vacancies. The competitions relate to open vacations due to retirement, death or even dismissal, “he explained at the time.” The world of international relations requires more and more resources, strategy and diplomats, and in recent years we have only been concerned with filling the vacancies that already exist. “
The shortage of employees is one of the arguments of the Foreign Ministry, in a note sent to Folha, for the competition, stating that failure to apply the test would harm the public interest and the institutional needs of the ministry. In the text, Itamaraty also mentions other competitions, such as the Federal Roads Police and Federal Police, held recently, and the OAB exam, scheduled for Sunday. “It is also a measure which aims to respect the legitimate aspirations of candidates who have been waiting for nearly a year to take the tests.”
The case also defends that the modifications are foreseen in the notices and that they were carried out within the prescribed deadlines. According to the ministry, there is no record of formal complaints or requests for change addressed to the Instituto Rio Branco. Regarding the cities absorbing the candidates, Itamaraty specified that “all health protocols will be maintained” already published by Iades and that “test places and alternative places are suitable for the competition, in complete safety for the participants”.
This is the second time that the competition has been postponed. In June of last year, with Brazil experiencing its first pandemic peak, Itamaraty scheduled the race for August. After action by the MPF, however, the examination was suspended. In February of this year, as Brazil entered the worst moment of the health crisis, a new date was announced, for April 11 – this was again postponed to May 30.
As of Wednesday, Brazil recorded 84,854 new cases and 2,484 new deaths from Covid-19 – the highest number since May 20. The moving average of deaths was 1,727 deaths per day – the number is 138 days higher than a thousand daily deaths, considered a very high level. In terms of immunization, 51,846,929 people have received at least one dose nationwide — 23,418,325 of them have also received the second.