Venezuela’s Education Under Siege - Presentation

venezuela's education under siege

Academic Freedom and Human Rights: European and International Perspectives

Prepared by: Ganganelli Lorenzo, González Iván Nicolás, Locatelli Rebecca, Rollnert Ortega Ingrid, Sbernardori Luna

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Index

The research work was broke down to 7 key themes and assigned within the group depending on each member academic background

1. Historical and Political Overview of Venezuela 2. Key elements of Venezuelan Higher Education system 3. Venezuela’s Legal Provision on Academic Freedom 4. Limitations and Violations of Academic Freedom and Contributing Factors 5. The National Response: Universities, Society and Civil Organisations 6. International Reaction on the Case of Venezuela 7. Arbitrary Detention and Forced Migration: Interview with Mazzarella and Castillo

political and socio-economic situation

Venezuela's history has often oscillated between dictatorship and democracy. Since WWII, its economy has relied on vast oil reserves, experiencing rapid modernization. However, the 1980s oil price collapse led to political instability and the election of Hugo Chávez in 1998. Chávez launched the Bolivarian Revolution, nationalizing industries and expanding social programs. Under Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela faced economic collapse, increasing authoritarianism and political repression, that sparked widespread protests.

overview on higher education

Today, Venezuela's higher education system comprises public universities (with over 80% of enrollments), private colleges and technical schools.

Recent problems concerning the system:

• underfunding
• lack of international support
• poor infrastructure
• outdated curricula
• limited research opportunities
• eroded university autonomy
• political repression

The higher education system of Venezuela was significantly influenced by Spanish colonialism. Initially, it was characterized by an elitist Catholic model, which was later replaced with a system prioritizing state control and political alignment after independence. During the 20th century, the system frequently oscillated between periods of near autonomy and episodes of authoritarian control.

CURRENT LEGAL FRAMEWORK

• CONSTITUTION 1999: The Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, adopted in 1999, is a pivotal document in the country’s modern history, marking a significant shift in Venezuela's political, social, and legal landscape. It was the result of an extensive process of national debate and was the foundation for the political project promoted by Hugo Chávez and his government.

• THE DIVISION OF POWER: The Venezuelan Constitution of 1999 establishes a clear division of power between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, with additional mechanisms for electoral and citizen power. However, the practical application of this separation of powers has been weakened by political challenges and increasing centralization of executive authority eading to concerns about authoritarianism and the erosion of democratic institutions.

• THE SUPREMACY OF THE CONSTITUTION: In theory, the 1999 Constitution of Venezuela is the supreme law of the land, and its de jure supremacy is clear, as it sets forth the principles of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. In practice, however, the de facto supremacy of the Constitution has been undermined by political actions, including executive overreach, judicial control, electoral manipulation, and the marginalization of democratic institutions

ACADEMIC FREEDOM DE IURE AND DE FACTO

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DE IURE: Academic freedom and university autonomy are enshrined in the Constitution and ordinary laws such as: - Article 102: Right to Education -Article 109: University Autonomy -Article 99: Right to Freedom of Expression -Organic Law of Education -Law of University Education DE FACTO: the papplication of these rights is severely constrained by a combination of political interference, economic challenges, and repressive tactics used by the government to control intellectual activity and dissent.

"Academic freedom in Venezuela is under severe threat, with government control over universities and pressure on scholars to conform to official ideology."- Héctor Castillo.

limitations and violation of academic freedom

2003

SUCRE MISSION

Creation of a parallel non-autonomous University system.

2008-2009

ALMA MATER MISSION - EDUCATION LAW

Creation of the Estado Docente. Undermines institutional autonomy.

2013-2019

PLAN OF THE HOMELAND

Radicalization of the Bolivarian Reforms. Control of curricula.

2013 - TODAY

SYSTEMATIC DEFUNDING

Huge budget deficits lead to infrastructural decay, canceled programs, and starvation wages.

2014 - today

REPRESSION OF DISSENT AND MILITARIZATION

Arbitrary detentions, physical attacks, violent incursions on campuses. Zamora Strategic Plans.

2014 - TODAY

IMPACT ON SOCIETY AND ACADEMIA

Humanitarian crisis, brain drain, students and academics targeted, black lists , and passport revocation.

When universities lose their autonomy, societies lose their ability to think freely, innovate, and challenge injustices.

Focus on the arbitrary detentions and consequent migration of venezuelan scholars

interview with mazzarella from amnesty international and castillo

The national response

Opposition from a large part of the population, especially since 2014. Some examples of the national response:

• ODHULA: Human Rights Observatory of the University of the Andes
• OBU: University Observatory Center
• PROVEA: Venezuelan Program for Education and Action in Human Rights

Additionally, media outlets such as Efecto Cocuyo and El Pitazo report on violations of academic freedom in Venezuela. "Con el mazo dando"(Laying Down the Hammer) is a state- controlled program, used often for labeling dissenting students as 'enemies of the state'. presented by the vicepresident of Venezuela.

(the teacher, fighting, is also teaching)

international reactions

RESPONSE FROM MULTILATERAL ORGANISATIONS ACTIONS BY KEY COUNTRIES & REGIONAL RESPONSES:

• United Nations (UN)

• Organization of American States (OAS)

HUMAN RIGHTS AND TRANSNATIONAL ADVOCACY ORGANISATIONS:

• United States

• Latin American Nations

• European Union

• Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International

• Transnational Rights Groups

Before we began our report, our understanding of the situation in Venezuela was relatively superficial. However, as we continued our research, particularly through interviews with people who lived the situation, we realized how the spiral of violence and violations was getting deeper (Example: the passport withdrawal and the "black list"). This deterioration was paralleled by an increasing lack of information. As conditions worsened (2014-2017-today), reliable reports became less. It was also challenging to distinguish between laws and propaganda and the actual lived reality. To gain better insights, we decided to schedule two meetings with Castillo and Mazzarella. They were able to provide personal experiences but also confirm what we had already uncovered through our research.

group reflections

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