Roberto Jorquera, Caracas
On March 29, more than 5000 students gathered outside the National Assembly to support proposed changes to higher education. Inside, education minister Aristobulo Isturiz and higher education minister Samuel Moncada were tabling the Education Act.
The demonstration was one of the largest student-specific rallies in support of the government since Chavez won the elections in 1998. In a show of unity, contingents came from diverse institutions, including the University of Venezuela, various technical colleges, Cultural Mission, Bolivarian Student Federation and the National Youth Institute. There were also representatives from various social organisations, missions and workers' organisations.
The proposed changes aim to prevent manipulation by the private sector of the Higher Education system. The debate, which lasted more than seven hours, despite a 10-minute speaking limit for ministers and an eight-minute limit for deputies, incvolved almost the entire government executive including Venezuelan Vice-President Jose Vicente Rangel.
Samuel Moncada noted during the debate that the aim was to reopen the universities to the poor. The debate was heard by those gathered outside with the help of live TV coverage on a large screen and a PA system.
Opposition deputies such as Jose Luis Faria (Solidarity), Miguel Moyetones (Copei), Ramon Gerra (MAS) and Nestor Lopez (AD) had argued that the new law would be an infringement on the right of parents to choose their children's education and that the quality of the university system would be undercut by the huge injection of new students that the new law would support.
From Green Left Weekly, April 6, 2005.
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