These personalities have declined one of the highest distinctions of the country after the Brazilian president withdrew from the list of recipients two of their colleagues whose work seems to displeasure the government.
Le Monde with AFP
The National Order of Scientific Merit was established in Brazil in 1992 to reward the authors of the largest contributions to science and technology. Receive this distinction, one of the highest in the country, is an honor.
Twenty and a scientist refused, Saturday, November 6, to be given their prestigious medals. They protest against the choice of Jair Bolsonaro forcing a cup in the list of recipients of this distinction. The extreme right president had indeed designated 25 people, before removing, two days later, two eminent scientists from this list.
One of them is Marcus Laceda, who has achieved one of the first studies on the inefficiency against chloroquine Cvid-19, yet long advocated by Mr. Bolsonaro to fight against the pandemic. The other is Adele Benzaken, who was returned from the head of the HIV / AIDS Department of the Brazilian Ministry of Health when Jair Bolsonaro became president in 2019.
An “act of protest that we Attract “
“This is a new clear demonstration of the persecution of scientists,” said the 21 protesters, who also denounced “a strategy of systematic attack of science and technology” on the part of the current Brazilian government.
By “this act of protest, which saddens us”, these scientists say they express their “indignation in the face of the destruction of the Brazilian university system and the science and technology in general”.
Jair Bolsonaro has been the subject of severe criticism by the scientific community for its cups in the research and technology budget, its constant rejection of the scientific results and the spread of false information, particularly in this which concerns the COVID-19.
The Chairman, in addition to the use of chloroquine to deal with this disease, despite evidence of its inefficiency, has also ignored the recommendations of experts regarding the use of protective masks or containment to contain the pandemic.
In an interview with the France-Presse agency, M me Benzaken said “extremely honored” by the decision of his colleagues to refuse their medals in the face of what she qualified “Little elegant” treatment of the government with regard to its colleague Marcus Laceda. “It was the greatest honor of all,” she added.