The government (PT) will honor the former rector of UFSC (Federal University of Santa Catarina) with the National Order of Educational Merit medal on Friday (14), in an event at the Itamaraty Palace that will be attended by the President of the Republic himself and the Minister of Education, Camilo Santana.
The medal is intended to reward people who have distinguished themselves for exceptional services provided to education.
Cancellier committed suicide in October 2017, 18 days after being removed from office and arrested in the Federal Police operation.
Cancellier had been arrested for allegedly trying to hinder the university’s internal affairs investigation — which he always denied — but was not suspected of corruption. The operation became one of the main reasons for criticism of investigations using methods similar to those of Lava Jato.
Lula has spoken out on more than one occasion in recent years in defense of Cancellier.
“Whenever we can, we have to remember the people who were victims of arbitrariness so that this arbitrariness, this insanity, never happens again in our country”, said the PT member, in 2023. The speech took place a few days after the TCU (Federal Audit Court) decided to archive the representation that dealt with the case involving UFSC and Cancellier.
In the same year, the then Minister of Justice, , asked the PF for a report on “possible abuses and irregularities in the conduct of federal public agents” at Ouvidos Moucos, a request aimed at opening an investigation into the delegate.
The PF even administratively investigated “the possible occurrence, during Operation Ouvidos Moucos, of excesses, misuse of purpose, arbitrariness or non-compliance with requirements essential to the adequate and fair conduct of police investigations”.
Understand the case
Elected rector of UFSC in 2016, Cancellier was arrested in September 2017 in the PF operation Ouvidos Moucos, which investigated an alleged diversion of resources from distance education programs for vehicle rental. According to the PF, he had tried to obstruct the investigations, which the then dean denied.
The professor was released one day after his arrest, but remained away from UFSC by court decision.
“This removal is an exile. I live three meters from the university. I leave my house and I am inside the university. And I cannot enter the house where I live and live since 1977. The demonstrations give me comfort. The body is in great pain, but solidarity comforts the soul”, stated Cancellier in an interview given at the time to Diário Catarinense.
A few days later, the teacher committed suicide. It carried the following message: “My death was declared on the day I left the university.”
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