Argentina: Dora Barrancos resigns from Conicet
Several Latin American and Caribbean countries are suffering brutal cuts to research budgets, particularly affecting the social sciences. CLACSO has recently denounced cases like that of Brazil, hit hard by the neoliberal policies of Jair Bolsonaro's government. Argentina is no stranger to this worrying reality.
In that context, invoking “moral reasons”, on Thursday, May 9, the Argentine researcher, sociologist, historian and feminist Dora Barrancos He submitted his resignation from his position on the board of the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (Conicet), where he represented the area of Social Sciences and Humanities.
Barrancos made the decision arguing that two colleagues who were voted in a year ago – Mario Pecheny, as his successor, and Alberto Kornblihtt in the field of Biological and Health Sciences – were never incorporated into the organization.
"I had already anticipated that I would wait a year, but anything more than that is completely inappropriate. It is participating in and being complicit in a situation that is not institutional.", the researcher explained.
He also referred to the current situation of Conicet and denounced that there are 500 million pesos (about 11 million dollars) that appear in the budget but were never executed. "This doesn't solve even a part of the dramatic situation, but they are indispensable at this time," he maintained.
After announcing that he will leave the Council, Barrancos also spoke about the wave of scientists leaving Argentina due to a lack of opportunities. "The news one receives is alarming; I know at least two people who are leaving. There are people who had returned and are now leaving." said.
The scientist earned a degree in Sociology from the University of Buenos Aires, a master's degree in Education from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and a doctorate in History from the University of Campinas, Brazil. She joined CONICET in 1986 as a researcher and became a member of its board of directors in 2010.
Within the framework of “March, Women’s Month”, the Executive Secretary of CLACSO, Karina Batthyány, He had a warm chat with Dora Barrancos, available on CLACSOTV.
See also: “For a rescue plan for CONICET"
Argentina: For a rescue plan for CONICET
