19/03/2025

Rio de Janeiro Public Prosecutor's Office closes investigation into environmental crime against IMPA.

The Public Prosecutor's Office of the State of Rio de Janeiro (MPRJ) has closed a civil inquiry investigating allegations of deforestation on the land where the new IMPA campus is being built in Jardim Botânico, in the southern zone of Rio de Janeiro. The investigation was initiated based on anonymous messages sent to the anonymous tip line regarding alleged environmental crimes committed in the region by the institute. The MPRJ also requested the separation of the inquiry to investigate the crimes of defamation and slander against IMPA.

The decision issued by prosecutor Eduardo Fernandes was categorical in stating that "it has been proven that the procedures required for environmental licensing of works in the city of Rio de Janeiro are being followed, and no irregularities have been found in the works being carried out."

The prosecutor mentioned that the forensic examination conducted at the site by the Carlos Éboli Institute of Criminalistics – ICCE “found no discrepancy between the activities carried out at the site and those permitted in the authorization documents.”

The MPRJ (Rio de Janeiro State Public Prosecutor's Office) also requested the separation of the investigation to investigate the crimes of defamation and slander promoted by the Instagram page "Desmentindo IMPA" (Discrediting IMPA), which frequently makes accusations against the Institute and exposes videos and photos of interventions carried out on the land in a negative and decontextualized manner.

Newspaper O Globo highlights decision by the MPRJ (Rio de Janeiro State Public Prosecutor's Office).

On Monday (17), the newspaper O Globo published an article about the decision to close the investigation against IMPA. The news had already been anticipated by journalist Ancelmo Gois ' column on Sunday (16). On Monday, the decision gained even more prominence in the newspaper. Reporter Anna Clara Sanch's article highlighted the absence of irregularities in the works and the splitting of the process to investigate crimes of defamation and slander against IMPA.

In an interview with the newspaper, the institute's director-general, Marcelo Viana, highlighted the project's relevance to science and society. “The new building will allow us to expand our research areas and activities. We will have more resources to respond to and give back to society what mathematics can do for everyone's well-being. The new campus will give us more means to find effective solutions in numerous areas,” he stated.

The report also highlighted some of the institute's research projects, such as the development of an artificial intelligence code to improve rainfall forecasting in Rio de Janeiro and the partnership with the Institute of Man and Environment of the Amazon (Imazon) in developing an algorithm to assist in detecting deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest.

Veja Rio also published a report on the subject. “Green light for the construction of IMPA's new sustainable campus in Horto: having found no irregularities, the state Public Prosecutor's Office has closed the investigation into environmental crimes in the construction of the teaching and research institution linked to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) and the Ministry of Education (MEC). Now, crimes of defamation and slander against the institute will be investigated. The new campus should be ready in 2026,” the report highlighted.

New sustainable campus

Construction on the new IMPA campus, located on Rua Barão de Oliveira Castro, began in 2021 – six years after a rigorous licensing process. Always open to dialogue, the institute presented the project to the community and made adjustments to meet the requests of neighbors. With the approvals and licenses from the Rio de Janeiro City Hall, the first step was to carry out safety works on the site, such as slope containment, drainage and stabilization, in a region that suffers a strong impact from seasonal rains.

During this period, IMPA also anticipated the fulfillment of a compensatory measure for the construction of the project and concluded, in July 2022, the planting of 5,529 native seedlings of the Atlantic Forest on the land. The work was carried out in three months , and the development of the species is being monitored by a specialized company.

The compensation guarantees the region's forest enrichment, due to the removal of exotic species (jackfruit trees) and the planting of various native species, which will contribute to the proliferation of fauna and flora diversity.

Modern and innovative, the sustainable campus project was conceived based on models from prestigious institutions abroad, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Cambridge. Designed by the firm Andrade Morettin Arquitetos, the work won the 2017 Recognition Award from the Lafarge Holcim Foundation, Switzerland, the most important international competition for sustainable architecture projects.

The new IMPA headquarters aims to expand its activities, attract the most talented students and researchers to Rio de Janeiro, and preserve an educational activity with a social function in the city.