According to the president of Instituto Superior Technicalcommunication of the program cancellation, followed by a questionnaire, cites a determination emanating from the US State Department.
The United States Government canceled to Instituto Superior Technical (IST) a program that allowed its facilities to have a space for the dissemination of American culture, and the Portuguese institution was questioned about links to terrorist organizations.
The president of IST, Rogério Colaço, told Lusa this Thursday that received on March 5 the communication of the cancellationcom “Immediate effect”from the program “American Corner” And, on the same day, an inquiry with “very unsuccessful questions” Regarding whether or not the IST collaborated, or was cited or not on accusations or investigations involving terrorist associations, cartels, people and drug trafficking, organizations or groups that promote mass immigration.
“The technician replied that he would not answer the questionnaire because he did not fit a public higher education institution subject to public and legal scrutiny of a democratic country member of the European Union,” said Rogério Colaço.
According to the president of IST, the communication of the cancellation of the program, followed by a questionnaire, cites a determination emanating from the US State Department.
In Portugal, the so -called “American spaces” or “american corners”, funded by the US government and that the US embassy in Lisbon describes how “Information and Culture Centers”, There are six and all work in university institutions.
In addition to IST, the Universities of the Azores, Aveiro, Porto (Faculty of Letters), Lisbon (Faculty of Letters) and Nova de Lisboa (Faculty of Sciences and Technology) have these spaces.
“American Corner” It worked for over ten years
No is, o “American Corner” It worked for over ten years and, according to Rogério Colaço, promoted lectures, meetings and activities of “dissemination and scientific nature”.
The annual financing surrounded the 20 thousand euros.
The director of Faculty of Letters of the University of Lisbon (FLUL), Hermenegildo Fernandes, told Lusa that received the same questionnairewho left him stunned by “DIMENSION OF DREATING” of the questions, namely about “Climate Agendas”, If the institution had “Contacts with communist and socialist parties” or “Relations with the United Nations, Popular Republic of China, Iran and Russia” and the “which he did to preserve women from gender ideologies.”
A College also opted for not answering the questionnairenoting that “Its dependence is with the scientific policies of Portugal and the European Union”, Added the director of FLUL, without clarifying if the program “American Corner” it was canceled or not to college, which has a “American space” Sharing nearby facilities with the Confucius Institute, the official entity of China that promotes the culture and language of the country.
Contacted the Faculty of Science and Technology of New University of Lisbon, the direction of the institution indicated to Lusa, Without further details, than “American Corner” and “An annual project that will end in September”.
“We are assessing the hypothesis of applying for the continuation of the project or not,” added the college in a brief statement.
From the universities of Porto, Aveiro and Azores it was not possible for Lusa to obtain clarification.
“We have excellent relationships with all six ‘American corners’ and we will continue to collaborate in a series of programs and initiatives that promote our common goals,” said the US Embassy spokeswoman in Lisbon, Marie Blanchard, without directly answering a question of Lusa, but praising that US spaces “demonstrate the unparalleled power of the United States as an economic leader and innovation.”
Lusa questioned the embassy if, following the cuts announced by the Trump administration to the financing of universities and scientific agencies, the program “American Corner” It would be affected, and in what molds.
According to the US Embassy Portal in Portugal, os “American spaces” total more than 600 in more than 140 countries And they are located, namely, in universities, shopping centers, libraries and embassies facilities.
