There’s a lot at stake for research in Brazil’s imminent presidential election
Brazilian universities lack money for labs and maintenance, and fear things will only get Bolsonaro is re-elected
When far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro was narrowly elected as Brazil’s new president four years ago, scientists and academics across the country were shaken. They were concerned that funding for research in Brazil would further dry up, along with academic freedoms, and the consensus among essentially all of them is that these fears have been realised.
As the country’s 30 October runoff election looms in which the incumbent is up against former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, researchers across Brazil, including many chemists, are resolute in their support for the left-wing challenger.