Repudiation and concern within UNAM regarding Jair Bolsonaro's measures affecting Brazilian universities

As expressed by the National Interuniversity Council (CIN) and countless members of the Argentine academic world, the National University of Mission (UNaM), in the person of his rector Alicia Bohren and the management cabinet expressed its "repudiation and concern" for the measure adopted by the current President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro (Decree 9794 of 14 May) undermining the university autonomy of higher education institutions in the neighboring country.

"The MANU is located in a strategic territorial enclave of high relations with neighboring countries, for which we express our firm defense of public education in Brazil and we fight for the preservation of institutional and respect of plurality, "said Rector Alicia Bohren.

With regard to the decree, he said: "This decision of the Bolsonaro government ignores and contradicts what was agreed in the final declaration of the IIIrd Regional Conference of Higher Education (CRES) that education should be considered as a social public good, urging the Latin American and Caribbean States to guarantee this right.The document signed by nearly 500 rectors of universities across the region reaffirms the need to defend the autonomy of universities , intercultural dialogue, South-South and regional cooperation ", he concluded in an official statement issued by the institution.

Cups and crisis in Brazilian universities

With the blockade of spending promoted by the government, Jair Bolsonaro (PSL), the free management funds of the federal universities have fallen back to the level of ten years ago, reports the Brazilian press.

The contingency reserve of 30 per cent of the resources transferred by the Treasury has reduced the amount available this year to finance the institutions to R5,200 million ($ 1,296 million). This is by far the lowest figure, corrected for inflation, since 2008.

At that time, the government of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT) launched a program of expansion of higher education, which increased the number of universities and their expenses.

From 54 centers to the current 68, mandatory disbursements (such as salaries and pensions) increased from $ 22,800 million discounted ($ 5,684 million) in 2007 to $ 38,100 million ($ 9,498 million). USD) budgeted this year. .

An increase of 66.8%, well above the growth of total nonfinancial government expenditures. The number of teachers has increased from 56,800 to 95,800.

From the United States, Bolsonaro again made ironic comments about the protests, criticized the press and said the cuts were not just about education, but all areas. "There is no money," he repeats as the basis for the measure.

In defense of the region's higher education system

In Brazil, in the streets of Belo Horizonte, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, more than one million people participated in the mobilization against the adjustment to education announced by the Bolsonaro government. Students, professors, and school and university officials attended the march. They also supported the unions.

The acts occupied the streets and avenues of all capitals and the federal district, in addition to the 130 other cities. They even celebrated in small municipalities, like Felipe Guerra (RN), 5 734 inhabitants, and on the native land Alto Río Negro, on the border between Amazonas and Colombia, published yesterday the newspaper Fohla de Sao Paulo .

The participants were protesters convened by unions opposed to pension reform, the original structure of the events, and students and professors from public and private schools and universities.

There were politicians and activists from left-wing parties, members of workers' centers and demonstrators who carried flags with the message "Lula Libre". However, thousands of protesters, from children to the elderly, had no connection with the political groups, which responded to a spontaneous participation reminiscent of the 2013 protests.

In São Paulo, chartered buses landed students with painted faces from nearby cities.

As students of State High School Itaquaquecetuba, located in the metropolitan area of ​​São Paulo, who raised funds to rent the car and make an appearance in the protests. "The students organized themselves and asked us to help them," said history teacher Marcos Santos de Souza, 40.

This lack of connection with the organizations and parties of many protesters was visible on the posters, largely in the form of common white sheets. Several of them mentioned the release of weapons promoted by the Bolsonaro administration ("less weapons and more education") and the Minister 's statement of the same. Education, Abraham Weintraub, who attributed the cuts in the universities to a "mumbo-jumbo" within institutions, with members of the Sin Tierra movement and "naked people".

The reductions represent 30% of discretionary spending by universities, which covers basic expenses, such as electricity and water, as well as payments to security and cleaning companies outsourced by example.

According to the Bolsonaro Executive, the budget line that includes salaries of employees and teachers will suffer a reduction of only 3.4%.

In the United States, the president said the students were "fools" who were used. "It's natural [que haya protesta]now, most of them are activists, they have nothing in their head, they ask 7 × 8, they do not know how to answer. If you ask for the water-based formula, you do not know it, you do not know anything, "he said. "These are useful idiots, idiots, who are used as a maneuver mbad of a list of minorities that forms the core of many federal universities in Brazil."

In Sao Paulo, Fernando Haddad (PT), opponent defeated by Bolsonaro in the second round, claimed that the president had chosen education "as a favorite goal".

"Today, more than a million people are on the streets in favor of education in the country and President Bolsonaro is in Texas, the country that he has chosen to serve "said one of the vehicles rented by trade unionists.

The ONE called a new megaprotesta across the country on May 30th. "This is the beginning of the bitter taste that will feel Bolsonaro," said entity president Marianna Dias.

EP / PE