SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project investigates and reports attacks on higher education with the aim of raising awareness, generating advocacy, and increasing protection for scholars, students, and academic communities. Learn more.

Date of Incident: June 12, 2014

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances | Other

Institution(s):Caracas | Santa María University

Region & Country:Americas | Venezuela

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On June 12, 2014, a public bus leaving the campus of Santa Maria University, in Caracas, was boarded by armed individuals posing as students.  The individuals robbed the driver and several of the passengers, and shot and wounded two students during the robbery.  The incident sparked on-campus demonstrations in which students complained of the administration’s failure to provide sufficient on-campus security, and demanded that further security measures be implemented. 
Scholars at Risk is concerned about violent attacks against students, and attacks on or in the vicinity of university campuses.  In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, such attacks create insecurity which undermines higher education functions.  State and university authorities have a responsibility to ensure the security of academic communities, to prevent future attacks, and to investigate and hold perpetrators of violent attacks accountable.
Sources:
http://www.el-nacional.com/sociedad/Heridos-estudiantes-Universidad-Santa-Maria_0_427157301.html
http://www.el-nacional.com/sucesos/Reportan-asalto-Universidad-Santa-Maria_0_426557555.html