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: March 05, 2018

Attack Types: Imprisonment

Institution(s):University of Los Andes (ULA)

Region & Country:Americas | Venezuela

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On March 5, 2018, Venezuelan authorities reportedly detained two student leaders from the University of Los Andes, following comments they made regarding a public transport strike, which had recently begun in the city of Mérida.

The student leaders, Johan Lobo and Michael Labrador, were interviewed on March 5, 2018 on Televisora Andina de Mérida (TAM), a local television channel. During the interview, they reportedly demanded Venezuelan authorities bring a solution to the public transport strike, claiming that the strike had inhibited students’ ability to attend classes at the university. In addition, they invited participants to a gathering, planned for March 7 and organized by members of the ULA community, to protest hunger and poverty in the country. Minutes after they left the TAM’s studio, Mr. Lobo and Mr. Labrador were reportedly arrested by the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN). They have reportedly had no access to their relatives and lawyers since their arrest.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the arrest and detention of students, in apparent retaliation for their peaceful exercise of the right of freedom of expression, conduct which is expressly protected under international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Venezuela is a party. State authorities have a responsibility to protect the rights of freedom of expression and due process. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, such incidents have a chilling effect on academic freedom, and democratic society generally.

UPDATE: On June 11, 2018, authorities released Mssrs. Lobo and Labrador.

Sources:
http://www.el-nacional.com/noticias/politica/michael-labrador-jhoan-lobos-fueron-liberados-por-tribunal-control_239595

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