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 28, 2025

Attack Types: Imprisonment | Prosecution

Institution(s):Valle del Momboy University

Region & Country:Americas | Venezuela

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On September 28, 2025, officers from Venezuela’s National Anti-Extortion and Kidnapping Command (CONAS) arrested Ricardo Berrios, a professor of economics at Valle del Momboy University, for public comments that he made regarding the country’s economic policy.

Berrios has frequently been consulted by journalists on issues related to Venezuela’s economy. He is quoted as having publicly called for political change, saying “We do not see a way to request a change in the country’s economic policy, so a change in the political model is necessary.” His arrest reflects a broader pattern in which the Venezuelan government has cracked down on dissent by targeting economists for voicing concern about the country’s economic and social situation.

On October 11, 2025, Berrios appeared at a virtual hearing, during which he was accused of terrorism, criminal association, conspiracy with a foreign government, and treason.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the arrest and detention of a scholar in connection to his academic work and nonviolent expression—conduct that is expressly protected by international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Thailand is a party. State authorities should refrain from criminal investigations and other coercive legal action intended to restrict or retaliate against such conduct. Criminal investigations in response to scholars’ nonviolent expressive activity undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally.

Sources:
*This incident was identified by Aula Abierta, a member of the Coalition for Academic Freedom in the America’s Monitoring Working Group.
https://runrun.es/inicio/591032/en-audiencia-telematica-acusaron-al-profesor-y-economista-ricardo-berrios-de-cuatro-delitos/
https://www.ntn24.com/noticias-economia/profesor-de-economia-ricardo-berrios-que-advertia-sobre-la-necesidad-de-cambio-del-modelo-politico-en-venezuela-es-acusado-de-terrorismo-584823
https://monitoreamos.com/venezuela/agentes-del-regimen-detuvieron-al-economista-y-profesor-universitario-ricardo-berrios-en-trujillo