Support for Prof. Dr. Bruna Muriel Huertas Fuscaldo

To whom it may concern,

My name is Bruna Muriel Huertas Fuscaldo, I am Brazilian and, as part of the doctorate I did at the Graduate Program in Latin American Integration at the University of São Paulo (PROLAM - USP, 2016), I participated in a "sandwich" exchange at the Center for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Boaventura de Sousa Santos,  between March 2014 and March 2015.

Since 2017, I have been a professor in the undergraduate programs in Humanities and International Relations, in addition to working in the graduate program in International Relations (PPGRI) at the Federal University of ABC (UFABC), in Greater São Paulo. I have a master's degree in International Relations from the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM, 2010) and a postdoctoral degree at the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA, 2017). I currently coordinate the research and extension group Globalizations and Epistemologies of the South/Gepisul and deputy coordinator of the Brazilian Foreign Policy Observatory/Opeb.

I write on my own initiative, motivated by the desire to contribute to the ongoing research process, since, as will be possible to see in the following pages, my experience at CES and as an orientation with the professor differs radically from those linked to episodes of harassment, abuse, and oppression, exposed both in the book "Sexual Misconduct in Academia – Informing an Ethics of Care in the University" (2023) and in the reports and letters published by the media and social networks in the last year.

I emphasize that I am in solidarity with the people who have experienced suffering at CES and I do not intend, in any way, to question the veracity of the memories or the legitimacy of the demands of the complainants. However, as a professor and researcher critical of the Manichean and reductionist logic of explaining reality, which makes it difficult to understand its complexity and intrinsic contradictions, I feel that it is my duty to inform those responsible for the investigation of cases of moral and sexual harassment at CES that I bring other memories of the period I was there.

The supervision meetings with Professor Boaventura and the meetings with the members of his research team, among which I highlight Professor Maria Paula Menezes and researcher Bruno Sena Martins, were full of respectful dialogues, intense learning and deep reflections. During my stay I participated in all the master classes of that school year, in addition to

workshops and lectures that had the prominent presence of the professor. This is the case, for example, of the Alice Summer School held in the city of Curia between June 30 and July 8 and the Workshop "Research methods for the Epistemologies of the South: what's new?", which took place on June 22, 2014 and held at the teacher's own residence, located in the friendly Portuguese village of Quintela.

These experiences contributed to the process of elaborating the reflection contained in my doctoral thesis on the Plurinational States of Bolivia and Ecuador (USP, 2026) and to my (interdisciplinary, critical, epistemic and geopolitical South) look at the national and international political and social phenomena that, even today, I share with students and advisees. In addition to the academic activities, I participated in the dinners held at the Casarão restaurant, which were also attended by the professor. On none of the occasions, formal or informal, did I observe subtle or explicit signs of behavior that took me back to the territory of abuse, violence, physical or psychological.

This is also the impression of my doctoral advisor at PROLAM/USP who, a year before my trip to Portugal, had carried out her postdoctoral internship at the same institution, under the supervision of the same professor. With her I share memories of a rich academic experience in an intellectually fruitful environment, and of dialogue with a generous professor who was attentive in his corrections and suggestions.

I close here, making myself fully available for any clarifications on the content of this letter and the episodes reported.

São Paulo, March 29, 2024

Profa. Dra. Bruna Muriel Huertas Fuscaldo Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC) Bacharelado em Relações Internacionais (BRI) Bacharelado em Humanidades (BCH)

R. Arcturus, 3 - Bloco Delta, Sala 319 09606-070 São Bernardo do Campo - SP

(11) 2320-6403