Over the last four years, President Jair Bolsonaro’s government has made steep budget cuts to Brazil’s public universities. In the run-up to the second and final round of presidential elections, his government announced a new freeze on funds, angering students anew. The fields of education, culture and environmental studies have been favourite targets for the far-right president, who has said such institutions are leftist breeding grounds.
By slashing more than €450 million from the budget for federal universities on October 5 – just three days after the first round of presidential elections – Bolsonaro prompted a fresh outpouring of anger. On October 18, demonstrations against yet another budget cut took place in nearly 70 cities around Brazil.
In Rio de Janeiro, students, teachers and other members of education unions marched from Candelária Church to Cinelândia in the city centre. “We’re here because education is Bolsonaro’s worst enemy,” lamented Jessica Pinheiro, 19, a social sciences student from Rio de Janeiro Federal University (UFRJ). Jessica is part of the Juntos UFRJ student union, which she joined when she started university a year ago. “We’ve come to stop these cuts,” Pinheiro continued.
“Jair Bolsonaro’s government is the one that has targeted universities the most.”
The “Out, Bolsonaro” signs and slogans condemn the far-right president and his crusade against education. Faced with the protests, the government was forced to backtrack temporarily, freezing the budget until December.
“When the people take to the streets, they can change things. Every time we demonstrate we manage to get the government to back down, whether on the streets or on social media,” Pinheiro said.
But according to the national association of directors of federal higher education institutions (Andifes), the situation remains dire….
Source : france24
