By FORMER DEANS OF FEDERAL UNIVERSITIES
We call on the entire educational community and all of Brazilian society to join the movement to elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
We began this letter in an atmosphere of menace, but also of great hope. Faced with a context of attacks on our democracy and on what we have achieved as a Democratic State of Law, it is necessary, more than ever, to take a stand. We have faith and confidence in the possibility of a great national, cross-party alliance around interests common to the majority of our people. We want plurality of ideas and tolerance of all creeds, civility and human solidarity, and we will fight for the end of persecution and discrimination against those who think differently and are different. We want a society built according to the highest precepts of humanity and with democratically chosen leaders, capable of valuing education, health, science, peace, always in defense of life.
It is with this in mind that former presidents of federal universities, present here, express their support for the candidacy of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for the Presidency of the Republic on October 2, 2022. For this reason, we join numerous entities from civil society, collectives, Brazilian men and women who, together and together, are called upon to act vigorously in the electoral process to build the victory of the only candidacy capable of facing and defeating the retrograde and anti-democratic forces and opening a new historical stage of dialogue for the democratic future of the nation.
Our Universities, particularly the federal public universities, are institutions dedicated to building a strong, democratic and sovereign nation. Even in the most violent and oppressive moments of our history, educational institutions have always known how to resist. Together, we seek solutions to the country's problems through the production and sharing of knowledge. It was like this during redemocratization after the military dictatorship, when we supported the approval of the citizen Constitution. Likewise, federal universities have become more diverse and democratic with the implementation of affirmative action policies. As a consequence of the deconstruction policies of federal institutions, it is urgent to strengthen their public, free, secular, autonomous and high academic quality character, in all areas of knowledge.
Faced with the ongoing barbarism, we are once again urged by the conjuncture and by history and we will make our contribution in the face of the setback we are experiencing, as well as present our commitment to participate in the process of rebuilding the country that should take place after the victory of the forces democratic
In the last six years, since the illegitimate removal of President Dilma Roussef, Brazil has been experiencing dark times. In the field of public education, we see a general destruction of State structures responsible for public policies, as was the case of the Ministry of Education, which has been intensified in the current government. The deconstruction passed through the CNE, extended to the FNDE, FUNDEB, INEP and CAPES, in a programmed dismantling unprecedented in Brazilian history. From education, there was a terrible advance of anti-democratic forces and denialism against health and science. The destruction is huge.
A process of budget suffocation is underway that has nothing to do with fiscal issues, as the cuts aim to make the existence of Federal Institutions of Higher Education (Universities and Federal Institutes) unfeasible. The budget cuts reach more than 50% of the resources destined to the payment of current expenses and 96% in the resources destined to investments.
Brazilian society recognizes today, especially after the pandemic, that our universities are responsible for more than 80% of research in our country, many of which are developed in conjunction with Graduate and Research programs. However, science, as well as education, was also strongly affected by the brutal fall in resources in the budget, particularly in the case of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), with huge losses for CNPq, as well as by the diversion to the Fund for the Treasury of the amount of 35 billion reais from the FNDCT, according to data collected by the Centro de Estudos SoU_Ciência.
We live in a period of persecution of free thought, of censorship through ideological control and intimidation. For the rectors, those were nightmare days, in which there were arrests, coercive conducts and the opening of processes that proved nothing, but which created an atmosphere of terror and fear in the institutions and led to the death of the UFSC rector. In addition, even with clear constitutional precepts, University Autonomy was outraged, especially with the appointments by the President of the Republic of more than 20 rectors who were not elected by their communities. The conflict established in these institutions today is added to the process of illegitimate control, budgetary restrictions, wage squeeze due to four years without correction of inflationary losses, as well as the destruction of all institutions dedicated to education, science, technology, health, the environment, agrarian reform, art and culture.
We, leaders who had the opportunity to live our institutions intensely and seek to make them universities at the service of society, strengthening the public sphere of the State, human development, nature and life, cannot accept that this gloomy scenario continues . We also know that these institutions will be fundamental for the process that will come after the elections in a democratic government with popular commitments, led by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Proof of this was the performance of research institutes and public universities in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, one of the greatest crises in recent history. In the last two and a half years, in a broad and vigorous movement, we carried out thousands of actions in more than 500 municipalities, providing coverage to more than 40 million people. Actions that ranged from research on vaccines and diagnostic methods and treatments, as well as assistance to the most vulnerable communities, the fight against hunger and poverty, in addition to communication actions to combat false news that made this overwhelming disease even more lethal.
For all these reasons, we support the presidential candidacy of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a candidate who represents the democratic values we defend and who will be on the side of education, culture and science. We call on Brazilian society to support him and to work towards his election, so that our universities not only continue to carry out teaching, research and socially-referenced quality extension, but so that they can also grow again in a sustainable way and, with that , contribute to the implementation of policies aimed at economic and social development and in defense of life. We affirm our commitment to democratic struggles so that Brazilian society has the nation it deserves and needs.
Let's go together and together! Brazil can be and will be! We call on the entire educational community and all of Brazilian society to join the movement to elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The former Deans, elected and sworn in, of the following universities and their mandates sign:
Alexandre Pinto Cardoso – UFRJ, 1988-1990
Antonio Martins Siqueira – UNIFAL-MG, 2005-2010
Amaro Henrique Pessoa Lins – UFPE, 2003-2011
Ana Dayse Rezende Dórea – UFAL, 2003-2011
Ana Lúcia Almeida Gazzola – UFMG, 2002-2006
Ana Maria Dantas Soares – UFRRJ, 2013-2017
Anísio Brasileiro de F. Dourado – UFPE, 2011-2019
Angela Maria Paiva Cruz – UFRN, 2011-2019
Angelo Roberto Antoniolli – UFS, 2012-2020
Antonio Ibañez Ruiz – UnB, 1989-1993
Archimedes Diógenes Ciloni – UFU, 2000-2008
Carlos Alberto Faraco – UFPR, 1990-1994
Carlos Alexandre Netto – UFRGS, 2008-2016
Carlos Antonio Levi da Conceição – UFRJ, 2011-2015
Celia Maria Silva Correa Oliveira – UFMS, 2008-2016
Clélio Campolina Diniz – UFMG, 2010-2014
Cleuza Sobral Dias – FURG, 2013-2020
Cristovam Buarque – UnB, 1985-1989
Dagoberto Alves de Almeida – UNIFEI, 2013-2020
Damião Duque de Farias – UFGD, 2006-2015
Delza Leite Góes Gitai – UFAL 1987-1991
Dilvo Ristoff – UFFS, 2009-2011
Dora Leal Rosa – UFBA, 2010-2014
Edward Madureira Brasil – UFG, 2006-2014 and 2018-2022
Eliane Superti – UNIFAP, 2014-2018
Ene Gloria da Silveira – UNIR, 1998-2007
Felipe Martins Muller – UFSM, 2009-2013
Fernando Antonio Menezes da Silva – UFRR, 2000-2004
Francisco César de Sá Barreto – UFMG, 1998-2002
Geraldo dos Santos Queiroz – UFRN, 1991-1995
Gilciano Saraiva Nogueira – UFVJM, 2015-2019
Gioconda Santos and Souza Martinez- UFRR, 2012-2016
Helgio Trindade – UFRGS, 1992-1996 and UNILA, 2010-2013
Helio Waldman – UFABC, 2010-2014
Helvécio Luiz Reis – UFSJ, 2004-2012
Henry de Holanda Campos – UFC, 2015-2019
Hermano Tavares – UFABC, 2005-2007
Iracema Veloso – UFOB, 2013-2019
Jaime Giollo – UFFS, 2011-2019
Jaime A. Ramírez – UFMG, 2014-2018
Jefferson Fernandes do Nascimento – UFRR, 2016-2020
Jesualdo Pereira Farias – UFC, 2008-2015
João Carlos Salles Pires da Silva – UFBA, 2014-2022
João Carlos Brahm Cousin – FURG, 2005-2012
João Luiz Martins – UFOP, 2005-2013
José Arimatea Dantas Lopes – UFPI, 2012-2020
Jose Arimatea de Matos – UFERSA, 2012-2020
José Carlos Ferraz Hennemann – UFRGS 2004-2008
José Carlos Tavares Carvalho – UNIFAP, 2006-2014
José Fernandes Lima – UFS, 1996-2004
José Henrique de Faria – UFPR, 1994-1998
José Ivonildo do Rêgo – UFRN, 1995-1999 and 2003-2011
José Geraldo de Souza Junior – UnB, 2008-2012
José Rubens Rebelatto – UFSCar, 1996-2000
Josivan Barbosa Menezes Feitoza, UFERSA, 2004-2012
Josué Modesto dos Passos Subrinho – UFS, 2004-2012 and UNILA, 2013-2017
Julianeli Tolentino de Lima – Univasf, 2012-2020
Klaus Capelle – UFABC, 2014-2018
Lúcio José Botelho – UFSC, 2004-2008
Luiz Bevilacqua – UFABC, 2006-2008
Malvina Tuttman – UNIRIO, 2004-2011
Manlio Silvestre Fernandes – UFRRJ, 1993-1997
Marcone Jamilson Freitas Souza – UFOP, 2013-2017
Margarida Salomão – UFJF, 1998-2006
Maria Beatriz Luce – Unipampa, 2008-2011
Maria José de Sena – UFRPE, 2012-2020
Maria Lúcia Cavalli Neder – UFMT, 2008-2016
Maria Stella Coutinho de Alcântara Gil – UFSCar, 2008
Maurílio Monteiro – UNIFESSPA, 2013-2020
Mauro Del Pino – UFPel, 2013-2017
Naomar Almeida Filho – UFBA, 2002-2010 and UFSB, 2013-2017
Nelson Maculan Filho – UFRJ, 1990-1994
Nestor Barbosa de Andrade – UFU, 1992-1996
Newton Lima Neto – UFSCar, 1992-1996
Nilma Lino Gomes – Unilab, 2013-2014
Odilon Antonio Marcuzzo do Canto – UFSM, 1993-1997
Orlando Afonso Valle do Amaral – UFG, 2014-2018
Otom Anselmo de Oliveira – UFRN, 1999-2003
Oswaldo B. Duarte Filho – UFSCar, 2000-2007
Paulo Gabriel Soledade Nacif – UFRB, 2006-2013
Paulo Márcio de Faria e Silva – UNIFAL-MG, 2010-2018
Paulo Speller – UFMT, 2000-2008; UNILAB, 2010-2013
Pedro Angelo Almeida Abreu – UFVJM, 2007-2015
Pedro C. Hallal – UFPel, 2017-2021
Raimunda Monteiro – UFOPA, 2013-2018
Reinaldo Centoducatte – UFES, 2011-2020
Ricardo Berbara – UFRRJ, 2017-2021
Ricardo Motta Miranda – UFRRJ, 2005-2013
Roberto Ramos Santos – UFRR, 2004-2012
Roberto Leher – UFRJ, 2015-2019
Rômulo Soares Polari – UFPB, 2004-2012
Ronaldo Tadeu Pena – UFMG, 2006-2010
Roselane Neckel – UFSC, 2012-2016
Rui Oppermann – UFRGS, 2016-2020
Sebastião Elias Kuri – UFSCar, 1988-1992
Sergio A. Araújo da Gama Cerqueira – UFSJ, 2016-2020
Silvio Luiz de Oliveira Soglia – UFRB, 2015-2019
Soraya S. Smaili – UNIFESP, 2013-2021
Targino de Araújo Filho – UFSCar, 2008-2016
Ubaldo Cesar Balthazar – UFSC, 2018-2022
Ulrika Arns – UNIPAMPA, 2011-2015
Valéria Costa Correia – UFAL, 2016-2020
Valéria Heloísa Kemp – UFSJ, 2012-2016
Deputy Simões – UFCG, 2017-2021
Wrana Maria Panizzi – UFRGS, 1996-2004
Elected and non-elected deans also sign, with the periods that would correspond to their mandates:
Adilson de Oliveira – UFSCar, 2020-2024
Anderson Ribeiro and Lisia Regina Ferreira – UFFS, 2019-2023
André Macedo Santana – UFPI, 2020-2024
Custódio Luís Silva de Almeida – UFC, 2019-2023
Ethel Leonor Noia Maciel – UFES, 2020-2024
Etienne Biasotto – UFGD, 2019-2023
Fábio César da Fonseca – UFTM, 2019-2023
Georgina Gonçalves dos Santos – UFRB, 2019-2023
Gilciano Saraiva Nogueira – UFVJM, 2019-2023
Marcel Fernando da Costa Parentoni – UNIFEI, 2021-2024
Maurílio de Abreu Monteiro – UniFESSPA, 2020-2024
Mônica Nóbrega – UFPB, 2020-2024
Paulo Ferreira – UFPel, 2021-2025
Ricardo Berbara – UFRRJ, 2021-2025
Rodrigo Nogueira de Codes – UFERSA, 2020-2024
Rui Oppermann – UFRGS, 2020-2024
Sandramara Matias Chaves – UFG, 2022-2026
Telio Nobre Leite – Univasf, 2020-2024
Terezinha Domitiano Dantas Martins – UFPB, 2019-2023
Deputy Simões and Camilo A. Simões de Farias- UFCG, 2021-2025
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