Colombian Students Call National March for University Autonomy

The Colombian Federation of Education Workers (Fecode) expressed its solidarity with the national march convened by university students. The march, scheduled for Thursday, is for quality public education and against corruption. 

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According to Fecode, the initiative reiterates the necessity of university autonomy, respect for human rights, the non-entry of the public force to university campuses and against the appropriation of resources and corruption cases within higher education institutions.

The Federation directed its subsidiaries to unconditionally support and coordinate with the students in every area where marches are scheduled. 

The public university system requires a structural reform that allows financing and overcoming the crisis and the systematic budgetary asphyxiation. 

Fecode also pointed out that universities are spaces for the construction and practice of democracy, and therefore, autonomy is a requirement. 

Thursday’s mobilization is led by students who organized two months of national protests at the end of 2018 demanding more resource allocation to universities and other public institutions.

According to the organizers, the government does not want to comply with the budget allocation decided last December.

Thursday’s marches come after protests against corruption and police violence in the capital city which were led by thousands of students from public and private universities.

One of the main reasons for the protests during the past week was to denounce violence against protesters during a peaceful demonstration by students.