A ‘coup d’etat’ has taken place at the Social Research Centre in Coimbra, accuses Boaventura de Sousa Santos

Professor and sociologist Boaventura de Sousa Santos today deplored the “coup d’état” that took place at the Social Research Centre in Coimbra, as part of a trial in which he was accused of persecuting researchers at the institution.

“If [o CES] If it were a political institution, I would say that a coup d’etat had taken place, with a democratic veneer. Of course, I will in no way question the legitimacy of the leadership and the academic council, which were elected democratically. But I doubt the legitimacy of the academic council, because it was the same one that was there at that time [da denúncia] and they did not treat it impartially, they did not do it, and they do it in such a way as to endorse the version which is the narrative of the applicants, and not the narrative which is assessed impartially.”

In an interview with Lusa agency nearly 15 months after the case was made public, Boaventura de Sousa Santos said he had been made a scapegoat and, in a sense, the source of evil in “an institution of excellence, an inclusive institution.”

“In 2020, CES accounted for 17% of doctorates at the University of Coimbra. There is a study that shows that women make up the majority of CES management and coordination bodies. 81% of research and production projects are carried out by women, 61% of our project coordinators are women. So we have an extremely developed and extremely demanding inclusive institution.”

And that requirement, the researcher, who holds 21 honorary doctorates, argued, means many will be unable to follow the research being done there.

Thus, Boaventura de Sousa Santos finds two main reasons for this “coup d’état” and the media accusations against it.

“My own scientific orientation is not liked by many people in the EEA. But the EEA has always been a space where pluralism was respected. And this outrages me and creates an extremely worrying situation.”

The sociologist also recalled that he was a public intellectual, but a left-wing public intellectual.

“We all know, but I have no church, no party. So I am an easy target for the media war, because I am not comfortable with my independent positions. Since the war in Ukraine, I have always stood up. I have always been a supporter of independence. So I have criticized and defended peace. But now in Portugal, fighting for peace is almost an insult, because in fact, as you can see in the news, it is all about state budgets. increasing their military spending.”

Now, he argues, if investments go to military spending, they do not go to education, health care, pensions or the welfare of the population.

“We are fueling an endless war and joining a war that could be nuclear, that could be destructive to the human race itself,” he warned.

And for this, by his admission, he was insulted not only in the media, but also on social networks.

“There are many interests in Portugal, especially among right-wing and far-right 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.”