The president (PT) stated this Tuesday (March 31, 2026) that Brazil was the last country in South America to have a federal university and attributed the delay to the Brazilian elite, who “I didn’t want people to study”.
Although he referred to South American territories, Lula cited the Dominican Republic, a country in Central America, as an example. When mentioning the date of the first university in the country, he made an inaccuracy: he said that the University of Santo Domingo was founded in 1532, 6 years before what the institution’s official website states.
“Four hundred years late. You can’t forget: Brazil was the last country in South America to have a federal university. […] Cabral arrived here in 1500 and our university was only created in 1920. Because the Brazilian elite didn’t want you to study. You were born to cut sugarcane, to work, studying was for rich people”he declared, during the event University with the Face of the Brazilian Peopleheld in São Paulo, which marked actions linked to the University for All Program. “That’s why we are a backward country.“
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The president stated that expanding access to higher education is necessary for the country’s development. “Each and every child, man, woman, of any color and any religion, must have the right to a university. If they don’t, this country cannot grow”these.
The event was attended by the vice-president (PSB), the Minister of Education, (PT)from the Minister of Racial Equality, Anielle Francoand the former Minister of Finance and pre-candidate for the government of São Paulo, (PT).
In addition to addressing access to university, Lula defended educational inclusion policies and stated that the government intends to continue investing in training and qualification programs. He also highlighted the importance of initiatives such as Prouni and federal institutes to increase the presence of low-income students in higher education.
Public universities
According to the Ministry of Education, the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil, was the first federal institution official as a university, in 1920. The Federal University of Paraná, also in Brazil, founded in 1912, is recognized for having been created as a university, and not from the merger of isolated faculties.
In neighboring countries, the public university model emerged earlier. The National University of San Marcos, in Peru, created in 1551, is the oldest in continuous operation in America. In Argentina, the longest-lived is the National University of Córdoba, founded in 1613.
Other institutions also illustrate this earlier formation, especially in the 19th century, such as the University of Buenos Aires, created in 1821, the Central University of Ecuador, in 1826, and the University of Chile, founded in 1842.
