A recent documentary produced by journalist Paola Vale and Hearts on Venezuela portrays the precarious state of universities in Venezuela, a difficult situation marked by the lack of resources and financial constriction that has forced thousands of teachers and students to leave the classrooms in search of job opportunities inside and outside the country, a result of the violation of the right to education by the Venezuelan State.

Karla Velazco Silva, professor at Universidad del Zulia and board member of Aula Abierta -an NGO that defends university education in Latin America-, was interviewed for the documentary and explained that many university students in Venezuela are faced with the decision of staying in the country or migrating. “A complex humanitarian crisis has been affecting the country since 2015, there is no democracy or rule of law, and the minimum wage is less than 4 dollars a month; these factors force many young people to decide either staying in their country or I joining the 7.71 million Venezuelans according to UNHCR who have migrated in search of new opportunities”.

Regarding university dropout, Velazco Siva assures that, although there are no official figures, 40 to 50 percent of all university students left their studies before completion in 2019, a figure that could be higher for 2023.

The Venezuelan State violates university rights

Another factor that threatens the quality of university education in Venezuela is the recurrent attacks against academic freedom. Cases of censorship, harassment and persecution have been reported against professors and students who express opinions critical of the government or defend university autonomy.

“There is a policy of the Venezuelan State against universities and university students. [An example of] the violation of the right to academic freedom is indoctrination; Since 2000, a parallel system of universities has been in place through which the State intends to indoctrinate about socialism, contrary to the spirit of universality that universities must enjoy”, she emphasizes.

Likewise, another major problem discussed in the documentary is the precarious salary wages of university professors. Low salaries make it difficult to retain academic talent and directly affect the quality of teaching. This has led to a brain drain, where many highly trained professionals are forced to seek opportunities abroad.

“A tenured professor (the highest category) earns 18 dollars a month while an instructor earns less than 11 dollars, a salary that condemns them to poverty,” the university professor explains in the documentary that was presented on November 25, 2023.

It is necessary to invest in the infrastructure of universities, providing adequate spaces and resources necessary for learning. The lack of adequate infrastructure impairs the learning experience of students and hinders the development of research and innovation.

The documentary

The fifth episode of the Coordenados series explores the challenges of attending university in Venezuela. The documentary was presented in late 2023 during the eighth Human Rights Fair of the state of Zulia, in the city of Maracaibo. Thanks to the arduous work of research and documentation carried out by the team of Hearts on Venezuela and Paola Vale, the audience delved into the critical situation faced by the University of Zulia (LUZ) and other higher education institutions across the country.

Professor Karla Velazco Silva thanked the students, the university community and the entire Hearts on Venezuela team for their support during the production of this work that exposes the university reality and paid tribute to the Argentinian singer and songwriter Mercedes Sosa and her song me gustan los estudiantes (I like students): “Students are the yeast of a piece of bread that will come out of the oven to feed the mouth of the poor who eats with bitterness. Honor to the students, the garden of our joy, birds that cannot be scared, unafraid of bullets, let us continue standing up for our universities, the places of knowledge and development for our society.”

Professor Velazco recalled that civil society, academia and the government must work together to build an inclusive, respectful and adequate learning environment. Only by protecting academic freedom and improving working conditions and infrastructure can we achieve better higher education and a promising future for generations to come.

Watch the complete documentary on the situation of university education in Venezuela HERE.

Translated by José Rafael Medina