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Informativo especial nº 15/2025 | 13/08/2025
Contextualization on the expulsion of ABA members from the WAU Congress

In recent weeks, the ABA has been confronted with the arbitrary expulsion of two of its members by the organizer of the Anthropology Congress that will take place in Guatemala in November.

This is a unilateral and inexplicable decision that goes against the statutes of the WAU – World Anthropological Union (https://waunet.org/wau-constitution/), an organization that, since 2018, has brought together the century-old IUAES – International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences and the WCAA – World Council of Anthropological Associations, a council of national anthropology associations founded in 2004, in Recife, under the leadership of the ABA.

In light of this fact, and in reaffirmation of the democratic values of our Association, the ABA Council took a firm stand by issuing the statement published in this bulletin, which was read by President Luciana Dias at the closing assembly of the RAM in Salvador, on August 8.

In solidarity with this serious incident, the Latin American Association also expressed its indignation by issuing a statement of repudiation of these unwarranted expulsions, read at the same assembly by its President, Veronica Tessaro. In addition, several other leaders representing anthropologies from across Latin America also spoke out against the actions of the organizer of the anthropology congress in Guatemala.

ABA Statement on the Recent Expulsion of Brazilian Anthropologists from the WAU Congress
In light of the recent expulsion of Brazilian anthropologists from the 2025 WAU (World Anthropological Union) Congress and the subsequent use of the institution’s global email list to defame these colleagues, the Associação Brasileira de Antropologia (ABA-Brazilian Association of Anthropology) wishes to express the following:
  • we believe that authoritarian measures by an individual or a reduced number of scholars do not serve the best interests of our institutions;
  • different political views are an integral part of the democratic decision-making process and they should be respected, not condemned. They certainly should not be used as a pretext to publicly attack and expose colleagues without giving them the right to respond.
  • WAU has spaces for discussion so that opinion conflicts can be resolved without publicizing their progress and results in widely accessible public channels, using inappropriate terms.
  • the improper and non-institutionalized reaction within WAU constitutes a form of disrespect toward Brazilian anthropologists as a whole.
Since at least 2004, when the World Council of Anthropological Associations was founded at our national congress in Recife, the ABA has always cooperated in a supportive way to the development of a global community of anthropologists. Years later, in 2018, Brazil hosted a major, successful IUAES World Congress. Several Brazilian colleagues have dedicated their time and energy to consolidating both institutions. One of the colleagues mentioned in the unfortunate message has also served as chair of the WCAA. Sadly, the 2025 WAU Congress organizer's actions revealed his desire to damage the WAU. Without considering the consequences, he stated that he had denounced the Union to an American government agency at a time when the social sciences and humanities are vulnerable in that country.

At the same time, misuse of the WAU logo may have created the false impression that the message represented the Union’s official position.  Therefore, we respectfully call on the WAU to grant the affected colleagues the right to defend themselves by disseminating this message and any others they deem necessary to set the record straight.
 
We are confident that the WAU will uphold its democratic traditions.

This message was approved by the Board of Directors of the Brazilian Association of Anthropology at the XV Meeting of Anthropology of the MERCOSUR, Salvador, Bahia, August 8, 2025.
 
Statements from Anthropology Institutions on the recent expulsion of Brazilian anthropologists from the WAU Congress

Read the Statements from Anthropology Institutions received by the ABA here.

Atenção: As ideias, opiniões e informações expostas no informativo e nas redes sociais da ABA são de responsabilidade das pessoas de sua autoria, não refletindo, necessariamente, a opinião ou posição da ABA.


Associação Brasileira de Antropologia
No meio do caminho: deslizantes águas (2025-2026)

Presidência: Luciana de Oliveira Dias (UFG)
Vice-presidência: Henyo Trindade Barretto Filho (UnB)
Secretaria Geral: Waldemir Rosa (UNILA)
Secretaria Adjunta: Juliana de Farias Mello e Lima (UERJ)
Tesouraria Geral: Silvana de Souza Nascimento (USP)
Tesouraria Adjunta: Jacqueline Moraes Teixeira (UnB)

Diretoria:
Antônio Hilário Aguilera Urquiza (UFMS)
Flavia Medeiros Santos (UFSC)
Lucybeth Camargo de Arruda (UFOPA)
Vera Regina Rodrigues da Silva (UNILAB)

Informativo ABA
Supervisão Editorial: Flavia Medeiros Santos e Lucybeth Camargo de Arruda
Edição: Carine Lemos e Roberto Pinheiro
Diagramação: Roberto Pinheiro

Endereço físico:
Universidade de Brasília
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Brasília/DF - CEP: 70.910-900
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Para correspondência:
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