University Education Minister Denies Budgetary Suffocation of Public Universities

The Ministry of University Education, led by Minister Ana María Sanjuán, has firmly refuted allegations of budgetary strangulation impacting Venezuela's public universities. In a recent exchange on social media platform X, Sanjuán directly addressed concerns raised by student Ariel Pérez, asserting that the ministry has actively sought dialogue with student representatives.

Sanjuán highlighted that an invitation was extended to the Federation of University Centers and student spokespersons for the University Council a week prior, expressing disappointment over the lack of a response. "Unfortunately, we are still awaiting a response. We want to listen and converse in person, not on social media," she stated, emphasizing a desire for direct engagement over online discourse.

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Lamentablemente, seguimos esperando respuesta. Queremos escucharlos y conversar personalmente, no en redes sociales

The minister also provided an update on several key areas. Regarding the University of Venezuela's (UCV) cafeteria in Caracas, she confirmed its resumption of operations and ongoing evaluation to expand services. In transportation, Sanjuán announced upcoming improvements to existing routes and the introduction of new ones, alongside efforts to streamline student identification for preferential fares and coordinate with the Ministry of Transportation.

While acknowledging that current student scholarship amounts are insufficient, Sanjuán assured that the executive branch is exploring enhancements, contingent on national revenue. She also reported progress on infrastructure projects and addressing faculty requests. "No, we have not suffocated the university; on the contrary, we have fought to keep them open amidst the crisis," the minister declared, directly countering the narrative of systemic neglect.

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¡No!, no hemos asfixiado la universidad, al contrario, hemos luchado para que sigan abiertas en medio de la crisis