Letter for democracy and in support of the election of former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Image: Jonas Kakaroto
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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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