How cuts to research grants affect the country.

The Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes), an institution that promotes teaching, research, and outreach, is at risk of losing at least R$ 580 million in its 2019 budget. The news has shocked education experts in recent days, but the issue affects everyone more than has been explained.

In a statement to the Ministry of Education, CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel) estimates that, with the anticipated cuts, it will only be able to cover the costs of more than 400 scholarship recipients until August 2019. This budget proposal from Michel Temer's government, in which he once again disregards Brazilian education, will harm the field of science and the country's development. We will lose qualified researchers, which will dismantle projects and scientific production that depend on postgraduate studies. The Brazilian Society for the Advancement of Science (SPPC) has already warned that the cuts affect vaccines, energy, agriculture, and even the economy. It affects us all.

On the other hand, Temer favors small groups with billions in tax benefits, such as the Trillion-Dollar Provisional Measure, which granted tax exemptions to foreign companies exploring the pre-salt oil fields, waived billions in revenue, as he did with banks, by forgiving tax evasion debts, and squandered revenue on exorbitant interest payments on Brazil's public debt. In exchange, he wants to sink public education, following the Public Spending Cap.

Science and technology already receives a very modest investment, only 0,25% of the budget. Therefore, we will not, under any circumstances, agree to a drastic budget reduction. This proposal destroys everything that has been invested in recent years, from expanding access to education to supporting Brazilian talent in scientific production. The government owes an explanation of its intentions and must revoke any measure that harms students and researchers.

It's also important to remember that all of this is the responsibility of those who supported and approved Constitutional Amendment 95, the Public Spending Cap, which freezes public investments in the country for 20 years. Since the discussion of this amendment, I had already warned and denounced the serious mistake its approval would be. The results are appearing year after year. Like this criminal action by Temer and a majority of deputies from Paraná and Brazil, who want to destroy scholarships for postgraduate studies, extension programs, research, technology, and innovation. Proof of this is the recent statement by Geraldo Alckmin, Temer's and the Centrão's candidate, saying that "the first path I see is to charge for postgraduate studies. That would be the first step." If Alckmin is already saying before the election that the path is to charge for postgraduate studies, the next steps would be to privatize public education in Brazil. We must prevent this plan from being realized.

We cannot allow initiatives like the Open University of Brazil (UAB) to be discontinued, nor can we allow the functioning of public universities to suffer from a lack of resources, as is already happening. We must alert the National Congress and demand a strong stance against this shameful budget proposal by Temer and change the course of the country.

Starting in 2019, repealing Constitutional Amendment 95 has to be a real goal; Brazil needs to once again encourage more progress in education, health, and so many other areas that are sensitive to people's lives.