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. Starting July 1, 2026, SAR no longer publishes reports for the incidents that it records. SAR continues to monitor and record incidents that will be used in the annual Free to Think report. This page provides a record of incidents reported up to that date. Learn more about the Academic Freedom Monitoring Project.

Date of Incident: September 13, 2024

Attack Types: Other

Institution(s):University of Antioquia

Region & Country:Americas | Colombia

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On September 13, 2024, a group of unidentified hooded individuals vandalized building facades and detonated explosive devices at the University of Antioquia (UdeA) to protest the university’s budget deficit.

The group sprayed graffiti, which reportedly threatened the rector, on campus buildings and threw potato bombs. Administrators evacuated the university, while police attempted to control the situation.

Scholars at Risk are concerned about violent and destructive attacks on campus, apparently intended to prevent the functioning of a higher education institution. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, such actions undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally.

Sources:
https://telemedellin.tv/universidad-de-antioquia-disturbios/716075/
https://www.elcolombiano.com/antioquia/protestas-en-udea-obligan-a-suspender-actividades-academicas-EC25418396
https://www.elespectador.com/educacion/universidad-de-antioquia-califico-de-infames-actos-de-vandalismo-en-medio-de-crisis-financiera/
https://www.elcolombiano.com/medellin/rechazo-del-consejo-academico-a-disturbios-en-la-universidad-de-antioquia-del-13-de-septiembre-FB25429851
https://x.com/FicoGutierrez/status/1834685942608585179