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The independent commission created by the Centre for Social Studies (CES) at the University of Coimbra, which is investigating allegations of sexual harassment against sociologist Boaventura de Sousa Santos (who directed the CES from 1978 to 2019), detected “patterns of abuse of power and harassment by some individuals who held higher positions in the CES hierarchy.” However, the report does not name the sociologist, nor does it offer an apology to the non-academic individuals who reported De Sousa Santos for sexual harassment after the 2023 publication of the book “ Inappropriate Sexual Conduct in Academia ,” which dedicated an entire chapter to him. One of these individuals is the Mapuche weychafe (warrior) and writer Moira Millán, who recounted her abuse first in the Spanish magazine El Salto and later at a press conference with the Indigenous women's news agency Telúrica.

There, she detailed that the sexual abuse occurred in 2010, during an invitation from the academic to give a lecture to his students at the University of Coimbra. She also announced that she will file a criminal complaint against the University, something she confirms in this interview, conducted in Esquel after Millán met via Zoom with all the complainants to plan their next steps. Sponsored by Melisa García of the feminist lawyers' organization Abofem, she reaffirmed that she will file a criminal complaint in Portugal against the University of Coimbra.

– How did you receive the letter from the CES? 

Now I know for certain that 34 women testified before this commission, composed of independent individuals professionally trained in gender issues and violence. The public letter released to the media acknowledges what we had said. We know that the truth cannot be hidden, and despite Boaventura de Sousa Santos's attempts to discredit all of us who denounced and reported his actions, the commission ultimately recognizes that these events did indeed occur, that there was indeed abuse, that there was harassment. But there are some omissions that particularly hurt me deeply. First: for me, it was a matter of justice to name these individuals who caused so much pain in our lives, to our bodies, and they are not mentioned. Boaventura de Sousa and his assistant are not named, and they should have included us by name. The other thing that I found extremely shocking is that the public apologies are only directed to the students and do not mention those of us who were victims of this man and are not part of the academic community. I received an apology, but it was private, sent by email. And it was the university that created the conditions that allowed the abuse to happen. I would very much like the university, and in particular the Council—this group of people who were formed to investigate the events—to issue a public letter of apology to me in the coming days. They have already made me invisible.

– What explanation do you have for this? 

– As an Indigenous woman, I felt that this omission carried a heavy burden of racism. Because they apologize to white female academics, but not to me, an Indigenous activist. My pain isn't the same; this man's immorality isn't considered with the same gravity, it's not measured by the same standard. I think there's a heightened cruelty in his actions because he was a decolonial academic. So, I embody all the colonialist oppression: being an Indigenous woman, being an activist, being a poor woman from a place as remote as Wallmapu, Patagonia. I arrived at his invitation to give some lectures. There was intellectual exploitation and denial of what happened. I've been carrying centuries of denial as a Mapuche woman, with a state that denies us, a state that doesn't take responsibility for the genocide, a state that even today wants to assimilate the Mapuche people. So, I'm experiencing that denial, that institutionalized racism, all over again now. I acknowledge that decades ago the CES wouldn't have even recognized any abuse, that's progress, but I demand more, because we deserve more. 

– Did you have a chance to speak with the other complainants after this became known? 

Yes. Although I don't know them personally, this situation gave us the opportunity to talk via Zoom. It was very moving for me to hear all their testimonies, some even more terrible than mine. It was also very painful to think that perhaps if we had acted immediately at the time, the rest might not have happened. I suffered this harassment from Boaventura de Sousa Santos in 2010. It's very important that in all levels of social power, whether it's academia, politics, or anything else, women are encouraged to demand respect and set limits on this type of behavior. The other women expressed solidarity with me and said they would support me in whatever I decided to do, and there will be a letter signed by all of them in solidarity. 

– What are the next steps? 

– My lawyer, Melisa García, from Abofem, and I are going to file a lawsuit against the University of Coimbra because we believe that not only Boaventura de Sousa is responsible, but the entire institution that allowed him to abuse his power, that allowed the sexual harassment, that created the conditions for it. But of course, the white, patriarchal justice system sets deadlines, and it is tremendously unjust and disrespectful to what we Indigenous peoples understand as justice. For us, justice is about restoring harmony, and putting deadlines on our pain is unacceptable. So, if someone didn't report it immediately because they were blocked, because the conditions were adverse, for whatever reason, that person is free of guilt and charges; they can't be tried because the time has passed that, according to the patriarchy, is enough time to prove a crime. But that's the patriarchal timeline; the timeline for women who have been abused is different. We cannot allow this system to deny us time for justice. There must always be time for justice, there must always be time for truth; it cannot be subject to a statute of limitations. We need the black curtain to be lifted so that the light can enter, because the only way to heal as a people, as women, as humanity is to be allowed the truth and, from that truth, to achieve justice.