On Tuesday, 6th April 2021, Brazil reported 4,195 deaths from Covid. Altogether, there are more than 340,000 deaths recorded since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country. If the coronavirus affects all countries on the globe, President Jair Bolsonaro must be held responsible for the catastrophic management of the crisis in Brazil, which not only helped to increase the number of deaths but accentuated the inequalities in the country.
At many times, the president of Brazil referred to Covid-19 as a “measly cold”, dismissing the dangers posed by coronavirus. Bolsonaro criticized and undermined preventive measures, such as physical isolation and the use of masks, and on several occasions incited social gatherings while speaking to his supporters. He even spread the use of hydroxychloroquine, although scientists warned of the toxic effects of using the drug to fight Covid. Researchers who published studies that demonstrated that the use of the hydroxychloroquine increased the risk of death in patients with Covid were even threatened in Brazil. Bolsonaro also discouraged vaccination, even suggesting, for example, that people could become an "alligator". Amid strategies of negationism, proliferation of fake news and attacks on science, the Brazilian president replaced four times, in the midst of pandemic crisis, the minister of health.
Science in Brazil is under attack: on the one hand multiple budget cuts that threaten research; on the other the instrumentalization of science for electoral purposes, as shown by the president's statements discrediting the work of scientists during the pandemic crisis. These attacks, however, go beyond the context of Covid-19. It is important to highlight for instance Bolsonaro's attacks on the National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) after Amazon deforestation data rankled President Bolsonaro.
By attacking science, Bolsonaro not only hurts the scientific community, but the entire Brazilian society: the records of deaths by Covid in the context of the pandemic crisis are daily in the country, according to Fiocruz, 92 variants of coronavirus have been identified in Brazil, to that we can add the impacts on the environment, indigenous and traditional communities in the Amazon and the global climate.
In a context of the Covid-19 crisis, worsening inequalities, climate change, this type of conduct is unacceptable and the author must be held accountable. We are concerned with the worsening of the pandemic crisis in Brazil, with the attacks on science. With this open letter we, academics from all over the world, demonstrate our solidarity with colleagues in Brazil, whose freedoms are threatened and with the Brazilian population that is affected daily by this destructive policy.
THE SIGNATORIES:
Glenda Santana de Andrade, ATER Université Paris-Nanterre, doctoral student CRESPPA-GTM, Université Paris 8, France
Sylvie Chiousse, scientific director of the review Esprit critique, France
Juliana Kiyomura Moreno, Doctoral student en cotutelle Université Paris 8/Universidade de São Paulo USP, Brazil/France
Michelle Franco Redondo, Membre Laboratoire d'Études de Genre et de Sexualité (Legs), France
Pierre Veltz, Emeritus professor, École des ponts ParisTech, France
Angelo Soares, Professor titulaire, Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada
Alladatin Judicaël, Professor, UM6P, Maroc
Zoé Tinturier, Doctoral student IEP de Bordeaux, France
Eddine Bouyahi, Doctoral student, Northwestern University/SciencesPo, France
Soma Rostampour, Doctoral student, CRESPPA-GTM, France
Sevilla Ariel, Senior lecturer, Université de Reims, France
David Dumoulin, Professor Sociologie, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle - IHEAL, France
Papa Sakho, Professor, directeur du Laboratoire de géographie humaine, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal
Momar Diongue, Senior lecturer, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, Senegal
Pierre Salama, Emeritus professor, Université Sorbonne-Paris Nord, France
Solène Marié, Responsable de la Coopération Internationale, CNRS-InSHS, France
Francisco Alambert, Professor, USP, Brazil
Evelyn Nakano Glenn, Professor, University of California, Berkeley, United States
Paola Diaz, Sociologist, COES-CEMS, France
Maria Montanez, Researcher, Belgique
Jean-Pierre Durand, Professor, Université d'Evry Paris-Saclay, France
Valeria Ribeiro Corossacz, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Italy
Isabelle Charpentier, Professore des Universités en Sociologie - Université de Picardie - Jules Verne (Amiens - France)
Maria Vicenta Haro Matas, Doctoral student, EHESS, Paris, France
Yasmine Siblot, Professore de sociologie, Université Paris 8, France
François Boureau, Doctoral student en sociologie, Université Paris 8, France
Antoine Guégan, Doctoral student, Université de Lyon, France
Emmanuelle Picard, Senior lecturer, ENS de Lyon, France
Cornelia Moser, Chargée de recherche, CNRS, France
Samantha Joeck, Doctoral student, EHESS, France
Brigitte Chamak, Researcher, Université de Paris, France
Mirjana Morokvasic Muller, Directrice de recherche émérite, CNRS, France
Wenceslas Lizé, Sociologist, Université de Poitiers, France
Juan Felipe Duque, Doctoral student, Sciences Po Grenoble, France
Dr Monish Bhatia, lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Birkbeck, University of London, United Kingdom
Victoria Canning, Senior lecturer, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
Francesca Esposito Researcher, Instituto de Ciências Sociais da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
Danielle Ranciere, Philosophe, Éducation Nationale, France
Daniel Altmann, Professor, Faculté de Medicine, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
Carolina Adaros, Doctoral student, Birmingham City University, United Kingdom
Jacques Rancière, Professor honoraire, Université Paris 8, France
Catherine Marry, Sociologist, CNRS, France
Jules Falquet, Maîtresse de conférences en Sociologie, Université de Paris, França
Felipe Kaiser Fernandes, Doctoral student (IIAC EHESS) - CEFRES, France
Marie-Laure Basilien-Gainche, Professor de droit, Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3, France
Danièle Linhart, Sociologist, directrice de recherche émérite, CNRS, France
Angeliki Drongiti, Docteure en sociologie, Cresppa-CSU, France
Leandro França, Doctoral student, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal
Johann Cailhol, Université Paris 13, UR3412, France
Anaenza Freire Marescs, Médecin Infectiologue APHP Paris France
Yannis Papadopoulos, Researcher, IMS-FORTH, Greece
Izadora Xavier, Docteure, Freie Universität, Germany
Odile HenryProfessore des Universités, Paris 8, France
Helena Hirata, Directrice de recherche émérite, CRESPPA-GTM-CNRS, France
Gustavo Beritognolo, Chargé de cours, Université d'Ottawa, Canada
Luc Bouganim, Researcher, Inria, France
Mariana Ramos Pitta Lima, Doctoral student en Santé Publique/Université Fédérale de Bahia/Brazil
Valeria Ingenito, Doctoral student, Università di Napoli L'Orientale, Italy
Fanny Jedlicki, Senior lecturer, Université Rennes 2, France
María Mercedes Di Virgilio, Researcher, Universidad de Buenos Aires/ CONICET, Argentina
Gaide Aden, ATER en sociologie, Université de Tours, France
Blandine Destremau, Directrice de recherche, CNRS, France
Hélène Nicolas, Senior lecturer, Université Paris 8, France
Emilie BlancATER, Université Lyon 2, France
- Mariquian Ahouansou, Enseignante vacataire, American University of Paris, France
Sara Garbagnoli, Researcher en études de genre, Legs, France
Soraya Silveira Simões, Professore, UFRJ, Brazil
Engin Isin, Professor, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom
Atenea Rosado, Doctoral student, University of Pennsylvania, United States
Bruno Dupeyron, Professor, University of Regina, Canada
Helen Hintjens, Senior lecturer, International Institute of Social Studies (Erasmus University) The Hague, The Netherlands
Emmanuel Bellanger, Directeur de recherche, CNRS, France
Susan McGrath C.M., Professore émérite, York University, Canada
Richard Toppo, Doctoral student, ISS, The Hague,
Yukari Sekine, Doctoral student, International Institute of Social Studies, The Netherlands
Ana Carolina Maciel, Researcher, UNICAMP, Brazil
João Ribeiro Medeiros, Doctoral student, CBPF, Brazil
Federica de Cordova, Researcher, Università di Verona, Italy
Benjamin Leclercq, Doctoral student, Université Paris 8, France
Nouria Ouali, Professore à l'Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgique
Florent Pasquier, Senior lecturer, Sorbonne Université, France
Patricia Lambert, Professore, École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, France
Mathilde Moaty, Doctoral student au LATTS, Université Gustave Eiffel, France
Nadia Vargaftig, Senior lecturer, Université de Reims, France
Marie Segonne, Doctoral student, Université Paris 8, France
Odile Hoffmann, Directrice de Recherche, IRD Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, France
Daniela Andrade, Doctoral student, Institute of Social Studies, The Netherlands
Nina Gren, Senior lecturer, Lund University, Sweden
Doi Ra, Doctoral student, Institute of Social Studies, Myanmar
Romain Gallart, Researcher associé, Université Paris Nanterre, France
Marie-Pierre Julien, Senior lecturer, Université de Lorraine - Nancy - France
Laurine Sézérat, Researchere/Université Paris 8/France
Laura Madrid Sartoretto, Professore, UFRGS, Brazil
Diego Lasio, Researcher, Universidade de Cagliari, Italy
Marie Walter-Franke, Doctoral student, Free University of Berlin, Germany
Julianna Colonna, Doctoral student, Université de Pau, France
Renata Cavalcanti Muniz, Doctoral student, ISS - Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands
K CheneySenior lecturer, Intl Inst of Social Studies, The Hague, The Netherlands
Armelle Jacquemot, Enseignante-researcher/Université de Poitiers/France
Luin Goldring, Professor en sociologie, York University, Canada
Anne Sauvagnargues, Professore philosophie, Université Paris Nanterre, France
Alexandra Mirowski Rabelo de Souza, Doctoral student, York University, Canada
João Villaverde, Doctoral student en Administration Publique et Gouvernement, EAESP-FGV, Brazil
Leonardo Bueno, Researcher, FGV EAESP, Brazil
Mi Medrado, Doctoral student, Ucla, United States
Octavio de Barros, Économiste, Fondateur de l'association República do Amanhã-Brasil, Brazil
Grace Barakat, Doctoral student, York University, Canada
Luana da Silva Ribeiro, Doctoral student en économie, UNESP - Brazil
Marcos Roberto dos Santos Professor, FAMP, Brazil
Virginie Baby-Collin, Professor Géographie, Université d'Aix-Marseille , France
Oane Visser, Senior lecturer, ISS of Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Brian C.J. Singer, Professor, Glendon College, York University, Canada
Fabio Pucci, Doctoral student, UFSCar, Brazil
Barbara Poggio, Professor, University of Trento, Italy
Amber-Lee Varadi, Doctoral student, York University, Canada
Roberto Leher, Professor, UFRJ, Brazil
Jean-Marc Pétillon, Researcher, CNRS, France
Georges Flexor, Docteur, UFRRJ, Brazil
Liliana Petrilli Segnini, Professore en Sociologie, Unicamp, Brazil
José Artur dos Santos Ferreira, Professor, UFOP, Brazil
Herb Arst, Emeritus professor en génétique microbienne, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
Laura Corradi, Sociologist, Università della calabria, Italy
Nicolas Bautes, Enseignant researcher, Géographe, France
Stéphanie Deboeuf, Researcher, CNRS, France
Martinet Gilles, ATER à l'UPEC, France
Georges Benguigui Researcher, CNRS, France
Christophe Baticle, Socio-anthropologue, UPJV, France
Anny King, Fellow, Churchill College, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Benvindo Manima,Masterant, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil
Héloïse Nez, Maîtresse de conférences en sociologie, Université de Tours, France
Tulio Matencio, Professor Titulaire, Universidade Fédéral de Minas Gerais, Brazil
Luís Carlos Moro, Secrétaire Général/Association Américaine des Juristes/Continental
Laurent Gil, Professor, UFOP, Brazil
Michel Mayor, Emeritus professor, University of Geneva, Suisse – 2019 Nobel prize-winner in Physics
Cecile Lefevre, Professor, Université de Paris, France
Claudio Luis Donnici, Professor, UFMG, Brazil
Sophie Pène, Professor, université de Paris, France
Marilia Oliveira Fonseca Goulart, Professor, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Brazil
Sandra Sawaya, Professore, USP, Brazil
Charles Rice, Professor, The Rockefeller University, United States – 2020 Nobel prize-winner in medicine
Cristiane Maria Cornelia Gottschalk, Professore, USP, Brazil
Danièle Kergoat, Sociologist, CNRS, Paris
Ricardo Olimpio de Moura, Professor, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Brèsil
Luciana dos Santos Duarte, Doctoral student- Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais / International Institute of Social Studies - Brazil/The Netherlands
Steffen Fischer, Researcher, Greenside Design Center (Johannesburg), Afrique du Sud
Janaína Vieira, Masterante, USP, Brazil
Marco Bacio, Doctoral student, University of Milan, Italy
Heike Drotbohm, Professor d'anthropologie, University of Mainz, Germany
Luc Bonte, Président de la asbl FONCABA, Belgique
Peter Wagner, Professor/Researcher, ICREA and University of Barcelona, Espagne
Christian Lavault, Emeritus professor, Université Sorbonne Paris 12, France
Simonne Teixeira, Enseignante, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Brazil
Renee Sylvain, Professor, University of Guelph, Canada
Paulina Garcia Del MoralSenior lecturer, University of Guelph, Canada
Marie Chenet, Senior lecturer, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne , France
Marina Cadaval, Doctoral student ISS-EUR The Netherlands, The Netherlands
Romain Busnel, Docteur en science politique, Université de Lille, France
Artemisa Flores Espinola, MCF en sociologie, Université Paris-Est Créteil, France
Daniela Cherubini Researcher contractuelle, UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MILANO-BICOCCA, Italy
Yolande Benarrosh, Professore en Sociologie, Université d'Aix-Marseille, France
Vicente Martínez Barrios, Professor associé, Universidade de Brasília, Brazil
Daniel Cefai, Directeur d'études de l'EHESS, France
Gianmaria Colpani, Docteur, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
Stefania Voli, Researcher, Università di Milano Bicocca, Italy
Carlos Corredor, Recteur, Universidad Simón Bolívar, Colombie
Aurélie Damamme, Maîtresse de conférences, Université Paris 8, France
MF Deligne, IE/CNRS/France
Chantal François, Researcher, INSERM, Paris, FRANCE
Matteo Botto, Doctoral student, University of Genoa, Italy
Rita Monticelli, Professor, University of Bologna, Italy
Carmela Ferrara, Doctoral student, University of Napoli Federico II, Italy
Maria Peixoto, Doctoral student, OntarioTech University, Canada
Chiara Paglialonga, Doctoral student, University of Padua, Italy
Yazid Ben Hounet, Chargé de recherche CNRS, Laboratoire d'Anthropologie Sociale, Paris, France
Claude Calame, Prof. Dr, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en sciences sociales, Paris, France
Rose-Marie Lagrave, Directrice d'études à l'EHESS, Paris, France
Christelle Rabier, Maîtresse de conférences, EHESS (Marseille), France
Sophie Bobbé, Anthropologue, École des hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, France
Carmen Lucia Soares, Professore, Unicamp, Brazil
Angela Aisenstein, Maîtresse de conférences, Universidad Nacional de Luján, Argentine
ROCIO GUADARRAMA OLIVERA, Professore-Researchere, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexique
Geraldine Jourdain, Doctoral student, ICU, Japon
Giuseppe Burgio, Professore, Università "Kore" di Enna, Italy
Zeynep Kaşlı, Senior lecturer, International Institute of Social Studies, The Netherlands
Manuel Moreno, Enseignante, Universidad Nacional de Luján, Argentine
Brigitte Morand, Enseignante researcher, Université Clermont Auvergne, France
Vincenza Perilli, Researcher précaire - Italy
Fernando Bomfim Mariana,Enseignant, Universidade de Brasília, Brazil
Maria Arminda do Nascimento Arruda, Professor Titulaire de Sociologie, USP, Brazil
Dr. Conor Douglas, Senior lecturer, York University, Canada
Julie Sedel, Maîtresse de conférences, Université de Strasbourg, France
Laura Lucia Parolin, Senior lecturer, University of Southern Denmark, Danemark
Yolaine Gassier, Doctoral student, Université d'Aix-Marseille, France
Sharie Neira Rios, Doctoral student Université de Paris, France
Pierre Bataille, Senior lecturer/UGA/France
Frédéric Lebaron, Professor de sociologie ENS Paris-Saclay, France
Inês Bragança, Professor, Unicamp, Brazil
Kaja Antlej, Maître de conférence, Deakin University, Australie
Alberica Bazzoni, Researcher, ICI Berlin Institute for Cultural Inquirt, Germany
Peter Ratcliffe, Director of clinical research, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom – 2019 Nobel prize-winner in medicine
Sandra Challin, Engineer, CNRS, Paris, France
Romain Leclercq, Université Paris 8 - Vincennes - Saint-Denis, France
Maira Abreu, post-doctoral student, USP/Cresppa Brazil/France
Elodie Picard, Engineer - CNRS / OpenEdition - France
