Professor and sociologist Boaventura de Sousa Santos today regretted the "coup d'état" that took place at the Center for Social Studies of Coimbra, within the framework of a process in which he was accused of harassment of researchers from the institution.
06:47 - 12/07/24 BY LUSA
"If [the CES] were a political institution, I would say that there was a coup d'état, with democratic appearance. Obviously, I am not going to question in any way the legality of the management and the scientific council, which were democratically elected. But I put in doubts the legitimacy of the scientific advice, because it was the same as it was at that time [of the complaint] and they did not treat it impartially, they did not do it, and they are doing it this way to enforce that narrative, which is the narrative of the complainants and not a narrative that is impartially evaluated. In an interview with the Lusa agency almost 15 months after the matter became public, Boaventura de Sousa Santos said that he had become a scapegoat and, in some way, the origin of the evil of an "institution of excellence, of an inclusive institution".
"In 2020, the CES had 17% of the doctorates from the University of Coimbra. There is a study that shows that women are the majority in the management and coordination bodies of the CES. 81% of the scientific production projects are from women, 61% of the coordination of our projects are women. Therefore, we have an extremely advanced and extremely demanding inclusive institution."
And this requirement, defended the researcher with 21 honorary doctorates, led to many not being able to follow the research created there.
Boaventura de Sousa Santos therefore finds two main reasons for this "coup d'état" and for these media accusations, which targeted him.
"My own scientific orientation is not liked by many people within the CES. But the CES has always been a space in which pluralism has been respected. And this outrages me and is an extremely worrying situation."
The sociologist recalled continuing to be a public intellectual, but a left-wing public intellectual.
"We all know this, but I have no church, no party. Therefore, I am an easy target for a media war, because I am uncomfortable in my independent positions. Since the war broke out in Ukraine, I have always been revolted. I have always been a supporter of independence. Therefore, I criticized and defended peace. But, at this moment, in Portugal, fighting for peace is almost an insult, because really, as you see the news, it is all for the budgets of the States. further increase their military spending.
Now, this, he defended, if the investments go to military spending, they do not go to education, health, pensions, or the well-being of the populations.
"We are fueling an infinite war and aligning ourselves in a war that can be nuclear, that can be destructive for the human species itself," he warned.
And for that, he admitted, he was insulted, from the media, but also on social networks.
"There are many interests in Portugal, especially on the fringes of right-wing and extreme right-wing groups. They are interested in silencing my voice, but it is not easy, because my voice is international and I continue to publish my texts."
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