In the early hours of this Saturday, April 29, the Senate of the Republic has now approved General Law on Humanities, Science, Technology and Innovation (HCTI). This document replaces the current Law on Science and Technology despite the disagreement of thousands of researchers, scientists and academics who spoke against the proposal and repeatedly called for a serious discussion.
It took only 3 days for, after violating all the agreements signed by the legislators, the parliamentary procedure was concluded in Senate in what is now perceived as an “Imposed Law”, according to a part of the scientific community. It was endorsed with 48 votes in favor, 12 against, and six abstentions. Now, after approval, the decree was sent to the Executive for its publication in the Official Journal of the Federation and entry into force.
Just on March 28, the Science and Technology Commission, chaired by Senator Jorge Carlos Ramírez Marín, agreed to organize an Open Parliament on the project to give HCTI Act. At this time, he said that it should be realized once the proposal is approved in the Chamber of Deputies and the co-legislator sends it to the Senate of the Republic.
During an unusual session held in the courtyard of the former headquarters of the senate; old Xicoténcatl Palace, the General Science Law was the last reform approved in the first Ordinary Period of the Sessions, the problem seemed urgent for the sympathetic legislators of the so-called 4T, since the deputies of the opposition parties were practically not present, who took over the two stands there. official venue of protest.
However, they got enough votes with the Senators who are members of the National Regeneration Movement (Movimiento de Regeneración Nacional) party.Morena); from work (PT) and green ecologists (PVEM).
A law without consensus
After the approval of the HCTI Act Chamber of Deputies, the students, scientific and academic community in the country called for a 24-hour national strike on May 2. The convenors also demand that the Senate of the Republic reject the draft of the Chamber of Deputies, because “the voice of the scientific community is not heard”.
In the circular they assured that the law has legal technical errors and its implementation would mean “serious setbacks for scientific development, restrictions on freedom of research and discrimination”, however, even this law was approved.
Just this Friday, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador also assured that the planned changes to the National Council of Science and Technology (Conacyt) upset his opponents because they “touched an institution that was used to finance transnational companies.”
According to the president, in the Conacyt they used the money “to build white elephants, science cities and very luxurious buildings” that have no use. He also says that there is dissatisfaction with the Conacyt reform because “the people’s money, from the budget, was used to finance the big transnational companies, supposedly for the technological innovation“.
It is with this scenario that the new HCTI Law will begin to enter into force, which will set the tone for the coming years of scientific policy in this country.
