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: May 27, 2018

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances

Institution(s):Central American University

Region & Country:Americas | Nicaragua

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On May 27, 2018, paramilitary forces reportedly attacked the Central American University (UCA).

UCA has been a hub of activism since widespread protests against Nicaragua’s government began in April 2018. At around 12:45 am on May 27, a group of masked attackers in pickup trucks arrived at the UCA campus, wielding mortars. They reportedly fired a one-pound mortar at two security officers standing guard at the gate of the university. Although the shot reportedly occurred at relatively close range, no one was injured.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about targeted, violent attacks on university campuses. State officials have a responsibility to ensure the security of higher education communities, to prevent future attacks, and to hold perpetrators accountable. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, such incidents have a chilling effect on academic freedom and institutional autonomy.

Sources:
https://ignatiansolidarity.net/blog/2018/05/28/para-police-jesuit-nicaragua/
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/05/nicaragua-protesters-killed-mother-day-march-180531051309371.html
https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2018/05/29/masked-men-attack-jesuit-university-nicaragua