UFRJ professors protested Bolsonaro for exclusion of honorable scholars

Forty-four professors emeritus of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) protested in an open letter against President Jair Bolsonaro’s (non-partisan) position to remove the two researchers from the list of honorees in the National Scientific Merit Medal. . On Saturday (6), another 21 Brazilian scientists, also in disapproval, reported their resignations to the address.

a CNN I contacted the press office of the Presidency of the Republic and inquired about the reason for excluding the names of researchers and waiting for answers.

Among the excluded are the scientist Marcos Vinicius Guimarães de Lacerda, from Vicruz, who published the first research indicating the ineffectiveness of chloroquine in the treatment against Covid-19, and the scientist Adele Benzaquin, the current director of the Vicruz Amazonia Foundation. A consultant to the World Health Organization (WHO), she is a leader in research against HIV/AIDS. Then, in government, in 2019, Adele produced a handbook intended to guide and promote the health of transgender men.

In the document signed by UFRJ professors, the group asserts that the names in the award were referenced by a joint committee of members of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC) and the Brazilian Association for the Advancement of Science (SPBC).

In the statement issued on Sunday (7), the group rated the federal government’s stance as “unworthy” and says it shows “a lack of vision and contempt for science and for the development of the country”.

In another protest published by scholars on Saturday (6), a day after the presidential decree was published, the signatories also asserted that they did not agree with what the federal government is promoting regarding cutbacks in science and technology and what they called “the persecution of scientists”. In solidarity with the two excluded scientists, 21 scientists gave up the title.

Therefore, we consider being on this list a pleasure, and we are very proud of the possibility that we can receive one of the greatest awards the world can have in our country. However, the honor given by the federal government that not only ignores science, but actively interrupts the recommendations of epidemiology and mass health, is inconsistent with our scientific trajectories. However, in solidarity with colleagues who have been briefly excluded from the list of recipients, and consistent with our ethical position, we are collectively renouncing this nomination,” the letter read.

By decree issued on November 3, the Bolsonaro published the list of recipients of this honor National Academic Merit Medal The official diary of the union. Two days later, there was Publication of the new decree excluding the two worlds The above-mentioned.

Read the full letter from the UFRJ professors:

The Honorary Professors of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, the undersigned, publicly express their indignation and rejection of the unfair exclusion of scientists Adele Schwartz-Panzacken and Marcos Vinicius Guimarães de Lacerda from the list of recipients of the National Scientific Merit Medal. Their names were nominated by a joint committee of members of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC) and the Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Science (SPBC), ensuring that their selection was based on scientific merit, regardless of any and all political orders.

In a decree issued on November 3, 2021, the current incumbent of the Palacio de Planalto published the list of recipients of this honor, and on November 5, 2021, the President of the Republic published, surprisingly, a new decree excluding the two mentioned worlds, for the sake of purely political persecution.

This inappropriate stance is a sign of authoritarian governments, consistent with the denial of the current government, which, during the COVID-19 pandemic, took a stand and acted against all scientific recommendations of the country’s public health professionals. In addition, arbitrary financial cuts stifled funding for Brazilian universities and research centers, showing their utter lack of vision and contempt for science and for the development of the country.

We therefore offer our solidarity with the scholars Adele Schwartz Benzaken and Marcus Vinícius Guimarães de Lacerda, who have been excluded from the list of recipients for political reasons, as well as to the twenty-first (21) scholars who have collectively renounced their nominations.

These 21 fellows made it clear that honor is not replaced by honor.

Rio de Janeiro, November 6, 2021

Adalberto Ramon Vieira
Alda Judith Alves Mazzotti
Alice Rangel by Paiva Abreu
Anna Evenike
Anita Dolly Panic
Antonio Carlos Seque
Antonio Flavio Barbosa Moreira
Antonio Giannella Netto
Arthur Octavio de Avila Kos
Basilio de Bragança Pereira
Erasmo Madureira Ferreira
Francisco Antonio de Moraes Accioli Doria
Francisco Radler de Aquino Netto
Gilberto Barbossa Dumont
Helio dos Santos Migon
Henrique Mourad
Jamie Louise Szwarcfiter
Joao Luis Moretti Saboya
Jose Mauro Peralta
Krishnaswamy Rajagopal
Liu Hsu
Louise Davidovich
Luiz Felipe Alfaido from Ulhoa Canto
Luis Pereira Kaluba
Louise Bengueli Rosa
Marcelo Andrei Barsinski
Marcio Tavares Damaral
Maria Angela Dias
Marietta de Moraes Ferreira
Mario Luiz Can
Martin North
Muniz Sodre Cabral
Nee Pereira Jr.
Nelson McCullan Filo
Nelson Filho de Castro Faria
Nubia Verçosa Figueiredo
Ottavio Guilherme Cardoso Alves Filho
Raquel Paiva de Araujo Soares
Ricardo de Andrade Medrono
Sandoval Carneiro Jr.
Takeshi Kodama
Vivaldo Mora Netto
Walter Araujo Zane
Yvonne Magee from Liers Costa Ribeiro