Lula announces US$120 million for construction of new Mercosur University in Iguaçu

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is set to visit the Itaipu Hydroelectric Power Plant in Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, where he will participate in a ceremony to resume the construction of the Unila (Federal University of Latin American Integration) campus.

Itaipu Binacional, a joint venture between Brazil and Paraguay, will allocate R$600 (US$120) million to the project, utilizing land donated by the company adjacent to the power plant.

Enio Verri, the Brazilian general director of Itaipu, nominated by Lula earlier this year, will also be present at the event.

Professor Diana Araújo Pereira, recently elected and appointed as the new rector of Unila, will assume her role during the ceremony.

President Lula established Unila during his second term in January 2010.

However, construction was halted in 2014, with only 41.58% of the work completed. The new deadline for completion is set at three years.

The university operates temporarily within the Itaipu Technology Park, hosting approximately 200 students from Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina, the Mercosur member countries.

Renowned architect Oscar Niemeyer designed the university campus, his last project before his death in 2012.

Itaipu conducted a study to assess the conditions for resuming construction. The upcoming phase will focus on constructing the 18-story main building, classrooms, a restaurant, and other common-use structures.

During the ceremony, Itaipu will also announce a R$17 million transfer for the purchase of equipment and furniture for 278 schools in western Paraná and the construction of low-income housing in Foz do Iguaçu.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error