The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) decided to remove the "doctor honoris causa" title that had been awarded to António de Oliveira Salazar 85 years ago. The decision was approved by the university's governing council during a session held last Tuesday.
The title had been granted in 1939, during the period of the Portuguese New State, the dictatorial regime led by Salazar that governed Portugal between 1933 and 1968. At the time, the honor was conferred in recognition of the cultural relations between Brazil and Portugal.
The removal of the title occurs in the context of a broader revision of historical decisions that celebrate figures associated with authoritarian and dictatorial regimes. The university followed a movement that has been observed in various Brazilian and international academic institutions in recent years.
The UFRJ's decision represents the first time a Brazilian university revokes an honorary title granted to Salazar. The measure was taken after a process of analysis and debate within the institution, which considered it incompatible to maintain an honor for a leader associated with political repression and the limitation of civil liberties.
