Fifteen buildings at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) woke up this Wednesday (13) in the dark, due to the power cut made by the energy company Light, due to late payment of electricity bills. Furthermore, this afternoon, the concessionaire Águas do Rio cut off the water supply in several parts of the city. campusincluding the university restaurant and the student residence.
In a statement, the university says that it was surprised today by the cut in water supply in the rectory building, in the university town hall facilities, in the university restaurant and in the student residence. “UFRJ, which was in negotiations with the concessionaire, is looking for ways to restore the water supply to the university”, states the text.
“In addition to an arbitrary attitude on the part of the concessionaires, it is a cruel attitude towards the most vulnerable”, stated the rector of UFRJ, Roberto Medronho.
Among the buildings affected by the power outage are the historic Jorge Machado Moreira (JMM) building, which houses a series of the university’s technical bodies, as well as the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism and the School of Fine Arts, and which, for decades, hosted the university rectory itself. UFRJ’s total debt to Light amounts to R$31.8 million and refers to invoices due between March and November 2024, in addition to R$3.9 million in unpaid installments from an agreement signed in 2020. At the time, Light and the UFRJ rectory agreed to pay in installments a debt of R$21.3 million; however, only R$13 million has been paid to date.
In an open class, with the presence of faculty, students and representatives of the Education Workers Union, rector Roberto Medronho presented an overview of the university’s strategic positioning in the country’s development, as well as the constant cuts in the institution’s budget . “In this building where we are, quality teaching, research and extension are carried out. Portinari graduated here. Oscar Niemeyer graduated here. How can this building be without electricity?” asked Medronho, highlighting that currently almost 60% of the university’s undergraduate students come from affirmative action – ethnic-racial and socioeconomic quotas. “Many of these students, if UFRJ stops, will not be able to graduate,” he warned.
Light was criticized for its lack of sensitivity and for not informing where the power cuts would be made and generated outrage over the spaces that were subject to attempted cuts, or where the cuts were actually made. On Tuesday night (12), the concessionaire tried to cut off the power to spaces that are essential for assisting students in socioeconomic vulnerability: the university restaurant, where around 9,000 meals subsidized by the university are served; the student residence, where 500 students live; and public and security lighting on the roads of Cidade Universitária, in Fundão, affecting those taking night courses, the majority of whom are workers.
A team from the concessionaire was also at the Palace building, in Quinta da Boa Vista, one of the buildings of the National Museum, there is the Tupinambá Mantle, recently returned to Brazil by the government of Denmark. The mantle will restore the collection, destroyed by fire six years ago.
Fund transfer
The federal government transfers resources from the so-called discretionary budget to universities, that is, those that must be used for maintenance and investments. It is with this amount that, for example, food suppliers at the university restaurant, student assistance grants, property security and building maintenance companies and suppliers, including water and electricity, are paid.
Since 2012, this discretionary budget has been constantly reduced, falling from R$784 million that year to just R$392 million in 2024, in values corrected by the Broad Consumer Price Index (IPCA). It is estimated that just to pay the costs and debt installments, R$ 743.9 million would be needed annually, without considering the recovery of infrastructure or new investments.
University management needs to make difficult decisions, such as deciding whether to cut scholarships or delay payment of electricity bills. And debt also grows: expenses not paid in one year are carried over to the following year. In 2023, UFRJ ended the year with a funding debt of R$176 million. The expectation is that this value will reach R$192 million in 2024.
In this way, the electricity concessionaire’s debts accumulated, reaching R$31.8 million, and representing invoices from May to November, in addition to another R$3.9 million in agreements on debts from previous years. With the water company, the debts are R$18 million. It is worth noting that the high energy and water costs are mainly the result of the excellent scientific research that the University produces, with equipment that demands high consumption.
Throughout this period, UFRJ has been negotiating constantly with its suppliers, recognizing debts and seeking a way to resolve payments without interrupting services. In parallel, budget supplementation has been requested from the Ministry of Education (MEC), so that payment agreements can be honored.
Despite the negotiation, the companies have insisted – even in court – on the interruption of water and electricity supplies, as a way of putting pressure on the university. “We understand that this is an illegal cut, as the court decision obliges the concessionaire to maintain supply in places where essential activities are carried out: teaching and research are essential activities”, stated Medronho.
