Dilma visits construction site at high-tech hub in Campinas.

Brazil Agency - Former President Dilma Rousseff today (9) made her first trip to the state of São Paulo since her removal by the impeachment process. She went to Campinas (SP) to visit the construction site of the Sirius project, at the National Research Center for Energy and Materials, where the particle accelerator with the highest brightness in the world is being built.

Dilma arrived around noon and left the premises at 13 p.m., without speaking to the press. During the visit, the suspended president, accompanied by former minister Aloízio Mercadante, received red roses from center employees. At the research center, in addition to the employees, Dilma was also greeted by representatives of the Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT), the PT, and the Sindicato dos Professores do Ensino Oficial do Estado de São Paulo (Apeoesp), who applauded her and raised flags with supportive slogans. At the entrance of the institution, the suspended president spoke with a group of university students who were holding signs in favor of racial quotas.

Dilma traveled from Brasília to Campinas in a private plane, since the Planalto Palace restricted the use of Brazilian Air Force (FAB) planes for her travels. After the visit, she went to lunch at the home of physicist Rogério Cerqueira Leite, professor emeritus at the University of Campinas (Unicamp).

Protest

Protesters opposed to Dilma have been gathering since 11:30 am in front of the gated community where a lunch meeting between Dilma, professors, and intellectuals is scheduled. According to the Military Police, approximately 30 people are participating in a peaceful demonstration.

Particles accelerator

The electron accelerator, under construction since December 2014, is of great importance in the global scientific landscape. According to Antônio José Roque da Silva, the project director, the accelerator functions like a laser pointer, covering ultraviolet and, primarily, X-rays. This generates radiation with extremely bright light.

“The accelerator can penetrate materials and investigate at the atomic and molecular scale. So, it’s a huge microscope that can help investigate medicines, brain structure, tissues, Zika, new seeds, and the absorption of any element by roots,” he explained.

The project is funded by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, with R$ 1,3 billion committed, equivalent to one-third of what is needed to complete the works. The budget is renewed annually. The accelerator is expected to begin operating in 2019.