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: April 21, 2026

Attack Types: Other

Institution(s):National Autonomous University of Mexico

Region & Country:Americas | Mexico

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On April 21, 2026, the Faculty of Higher Studies (FES) at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) received a bomb threat, prompting officials to suspend classes and evacuate the campus.

The threat, written on a sheet of paper, was discovered inside the FES facilities around 11:00 am. University security teams and state police inspected the grounds using a canine unit and drones, ultimately finding no evidence of explosives. This incident marked the second threat at UNAM within the month.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about threats aimed at intimidating the higher education community and disrupting classes and campus life. Such actions undermine academic freedom and university autonomy. State and university authorities should take reasonable steps to respond to and prevent such attacks, including by investigating and holding perpetrators accountable.

Sources:
https://edomex.quadratin.com.mx/evacuan-fes-iztacala-por-amenaza-de-bomba-y-activan-protocolos/
https://www.jornada.com.mx/noticia/2026/04/21/estados/desalojan-fes-iztacala-por-amenaza-de-bomba-la-segunda-alerta-en-11-dias
https://desinformemonos.org/evacuan-fes-iztacala-por-nueva-amenaza-de-bomba-es-la-segunda-alerta-en-menos-de-dos-semanas/