Monday 5

Students say they are not afraid
Student leaders said Monday in a communiqué that they would let "no member of the power to scare them in order to prevent" their right to free demonstration.

During a press conference at Simón Bolívar University (USB), USB student Roberto Álvarez read out a paper where they vowed to remain in the streets in order to refuse the draft constitutional reform.

They claimed that a media campaign had been lunched against them and denounced  plot to fuel violence during their peaceful demonstrations.

Students expressed their commitment to no-violence; asked for peace and tolerance, and urged Venezuelans to defend their rights in a civic way.

Tuesday 6

Students reassert fight for political rights

Student leaders Stalin González and Freddy Guevara met Tuesday with Minister of the Interior Pedro Carreño and Libertador Municipality Mayor Freddy Bernal to refine the details of their march next November 7 from the campus of the Central University of Venezuela to the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ), downtown Caracas, to reject the changes to the Constitution proposed by President Hugo Chávez.

Following the meeting, they clarified they told the officials their goal is advocating their political rights. He insisted that the demonstrations the university students have staged have never been violent.

Minister of Interior thinks that government and students can fill the gap
The government and the student movement can come to terms for both of them to fulfill their duties and exercise their rights, said on Tuesday People´s Power Minister of the Interior and Justice Pedro Carreño.

"We can reach an agreement for you to exercise your right, and this shows that here, in Venezuela, there is full freedom," he said.

"(Students) should not try to impose themselves by means of violence and play the game of chaos. They could provoke the state security agencies and cause a high death toll (…) The point at issue is take no stubborn position," he said.

Five people wounded during university riots
A total of five people were injured on Tuesday at the Libertador Experimental Pedagogic University (UPEL) as the sequel of student protests against the changes to the Constitution prompted by President Hugo Chávez.

According to early versions, a meeting was being held at the university located in Barquisimeto, the capital city of central-western Lara state. A gang rode their motorbikes to the site and attacked the participants.  The clash resulted in five people wounded, including a member of the university internal security corps, said university sources, DPA quoted.

In the meantime, some students from another university in neighboring Yaracuy state staged a demonstration in solidarity with their fellows. Some weeks ago, students started to take the streets to protest against the draft constitutional reform that will be voted in a referendum on December 2nd.

Demonstrations stretched out to Andean Táchira state, where some students were injured and 28 were detained on Monday.

Wednesday 7

Students rally against constitutional reform in the countryside in Venezuela
Students staged a number of demonstrations throughout Venezuela to reject the changes to the Constitution proposed by President Hugo Chávez and endorsed by the National Assembly.

In San Cristóbal, southwestern Táchira state, university students marched to the courthouse, where they read a manifesto asking for the suspension of December 2 referendum on the constitutional reform, local TV channel Globovisión reported.

In eastern Anzoátegui state, students staged two marches to the courthouse in Barcelona town. There, they rebutted President Chávez' intended modification of the Constitution, and requested adjournment of the related referendum.

In Barquisimeto town, northwestern Lara state, higher education students rallied to repudiate the draft constitutional reform.

University students meet with top justices
A small group of students Wednesday was allowed to enter the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) following a march to reject the changes to the Constitution proposed by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.

The committee comprises student leaders Yon Goicoechea and Stalin González, among others. Goicoechea told reporters they are filing an action requesting the suspension of the referendum on such constitutional reform, claiming that the Venezuelan population was not given enough time to assess the proposed changes.  Goicoechea added they believed the draft reform violates freedom of speech.

Students ask high court to postpone referendum on proposed changes
After a long walk across the streets of the capital city, a delegation of 10 university students succeeded in making an appeal at the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) to postpone a constitutional referendum scheduled for December 2nd.

Student Yon Goicoechea, of Andrés Bello Catholic University (UCAB), a member of the delegation, told reporters that in this way a formal request has been made to defer the referendum. They consider that people have lacked enough time to delve into the proposed changes to the Constitution.

The appeal filed at TSJ contains a petition to secure the rights of information and political participation. Students think that Venezuelans have not taken part accordingly in the discussion. "The true participation is the equal one," they noted.

Armed people enter Central University, attack students
The dean of the Faculty of Juridical and Political Sciences, Central University of Venezuela (UCV), Jorge Pabón, reported that a gang of armed individuals stormed in the campus and lambasted the students who were returning Wednesday from a march to the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ).

Pabón said that some students were wounded, particularly a student at the School of Journalism, whose "ear was broken."

The group, termed by Pabón as pro-government, presumably set fire to a bus that was inside the campus.  "This is violence intended to prevent people from speaking up," Pabón told private news TV channel Globovisión.

Nine people wounded amidst violence at UCV
A total of nine people injured were the toll disclosed by General Antonio Rivero, Civil Protection national director, as a result of the turmoil inside Central University of Venezuela (UCV) when a gang of armed subjects stormed in the campus and lambasted the students who were returning from a march staged on Wednesday to the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ).

Rivero went to UCV to try to mediate in the conflict and clear the way for teachers and students who were stranded inside the School of Social Work. There, some of the gang members sought refuge, as reported by university authorities. Rivero added that two people were shot. Nobody was dead, he said.

Minister Acuña: Security corps may enter UCV if requested
According to People's Power Minister of Higher Education Luis Acuña, in the face of such events like the standoff on Wednesday at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV), there is need for state security officers to enter the campus.

He invoked article 7 of the University Law, whereby government security officers may act to contain any occurance beyond the control of university authorities, and the involvement should not be understood as forcible entry and search of the premises.

"Since we abide by the law, we are waiting for their call. In that case, university authorities should take up responsibility for the issue or ask national authorities for help," he told state-run TV channel Venezolana de Televisión, as released by official news agency ABN.

Thursday 8

Five students wounded in the countryside in Venezuela
Five students and a reporter with daily newspaper El Impulso were wounded Wednesday during a peaceful demonstration university students staged in Barquisimeto, northwestern Lara state.

José Aguinaraldos, the dean of the Medicine School of Lisandro Alvarado University, said the police forced the students to change the route of their march and lead them to ambush, where hooded armed bikers were waiting for them.

Students accused Mayor Henri Falcón and governor Luis Reyes of the violence unleashed by government followers, who attacked the university students in front of the police.

Interior Minister: A manslaughter was prevented
Minister of the Interior and Justice Pedro Carreño Wednesday rejected the violent incidents in the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) and warned that if Civil Protection had not intervened, a group of students who were posting banners supporting President Hugo Chávez's changes to the Constitution could have been killed by a mob.
 
According to Carreño, the crowd forced the pro-Chávez students to take shelter in the Social Work School at UCV.

The official urged the UCV authorities to take control of the institutions, considering that the State security bodies do not have access to the campus. Carreño asked the news media that, according to him, broadcast biased information aimed at igniting hatred among the Venezuelan people to act in a responsible manner.

Students reject violence in Central University
Students at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV), the Metropolitan Police (Unimet) and Monteávila University (UMA) Thursday are staging demonstrations in their campuses and nearby highways and roads to reject the violent incidents in the UCV on Wednesday.

A large number of UCV students are protesting and asking university students to make a statement on the number of students who were wounded Wednesday following a march to the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ).

Teodoro Pérez, a student of the UCV Medicine School, said they were demonstrating because they did not "want violence to be used against university students."

Nearby the Metropolitan University, northeast Caracas, students and police officers clashed. The students blocked the Caracas-Guarenas highway early on Thursday. They are rejecting the violent events recorded on Wednesday in the UCV.

The demonstrators are asking the Minister of the Interior and Justice Pedro Carreño to resign, following his statement on the violent events on Wednesday.

UCV President: State security bodies will not be allowed in the campus
Acting President of the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) Eleazar Narváez Thursday said the institution's board made a decision not to authorize the state security bodies to enter the campus to settle any conflict in the university premises.

He added that the UCV board believes that the presence of police corps may worsen the situation in the university.

"We are not falling into the trap of enforcing Article 7 of the law governing the universities to let the police enter the campus, as some officials suggested on Wednesday." Narváez called upon President Hugo Chávez and government officials to stop "encouraging violence."

Pro-government student leader: Sectors await our order to take universities
Robert Sierra, a member of the presidential committee for student power, said Thursday that some sectors are just waiting for the call of students who support the government of President Hugo Chávez to "take" the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) and Andrés Bello Catholic University (UCAB).

"We urge the revolutionary people to get ready, to be prepared. Some sectors have told us that they are just waiting for us to ask them to take the universities. Do not rush the time, comrades, do not rush the time," he said.

Sierra said that groups of people who agree with the proposed changes to the Constitution would not hesitate to enter those campuses.

"I think that the revolutionary people would have no trouble to take, for they could take, UCV, Andrés Bello Catholic University and whatever university… Is that what you want? Do you want confrontation? We do not want it. For this reason, we are talking to the people, for them to calm down and understand that this is not our space," he noted.

Amnesty International asks for enquiry into gunmen attacks against students in Venezuela
Human rights non-governmental organization Amnesty International called upon the Venezuelan government to launch "an immediate, serious, unbiased, and independent investigation" into the armed attacks against university students nationwide opposed to President Hugo Chávez's proposed changes to the Constitution.

"The Venezuelan State has an international obligation to protect the rights to life and physical integrity of demonstrators, dissenting student leaders and, in general, of all the people, with no discrimination whatsoever. Consequently, without any political bias, it has to assess the evidence, find the culprits and bring them to justice, while guaranteeing and protecting the victims' rights," Amnesty International said in a press release.

The ONG expressed its sympathies to the people who have been hit by such actions, and hoped political will is shown not to let such attacks unpunished and to prevent any similar situations in the future.

Opposition students adjourn march to prevent new incidents
Students leaders on the opposition side suspended Thursday a protest against the violent events recorded on Wednesday in order to, according to them, not to cause new clashes with ideologically opposite groups.

Student Council's chair Stalin González explained that the decision was taken due to the deployment of police agents at the entry to Central University of Venezuela (UCV) and a rally held by pro-government students at the Bolivarian University, Efe reported.

The march was to go from UCV to the Attorney General Office. There, demonstrators planned to submit presumed evidence of the showdown on Wednesday. According to them, the standoff resulting in nine people injured, including two shot people, were caused by government followers.

US Government labels as "shameful" shooting at Venezuelan students
The US Government termed Thursday "shameful" the firing of bullets Wednesday at four students.
The students were returning from a demonstration seeking to postpone a referendum on the proposed changes to the Constitution, scheduled for December 2nd.

"It is shameful," said Department of State spokesman Sean McCormack, when asked about the shooting on Wednesday inside the Central University of Venezuela (UCV).

Four of the students who were coming back from a march to the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) were shot.  "This is another signal of the kind of environment we are witnessing in Venezuela," the official added.

Friday 9

Central University board warns against likely violation of autonomy
We are not falling into the trap of enforcing Article 7 of the law governing the universities to let the police enter the campus, as some officials suggested on Wednesday. We do not accept this suggested break in. We will continue to fight with our own means," Thursday said the acting President of the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) Eleazar Narváez.

The UCV academic vice-president was replying to the "suggestions" both the Interior Minister Pedro Carreño and the Higher Education Minister Luis Acuña made on Wednesday, when pro-government gunmen fired against university students in the UCV campus.

Together with administrative vice-president Elizabeth Marval, secretary Cecilia García Arocha, the chair of the professors' association Víctor Márquez and other authorities, Narváez said the UCV board is in permanent session, given the tense situation.

UCV's Social Work School may resume activities next week
Margarita Rojas, director of the Social Work School at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV), said activities could be resumed next week, following the destruction of its premises last November 7, when pro-government students took the building.

She said the school is a place where different ideologies converge.

"This is a plural school where different ideological trends participate. This is a school that trains professionals that cooperate with the development of the country."

University presidents meet with Interior minister
The presidents of several national universities held a meeting Friday with Minister of the Interior and Justice Pedro Carreño and Minister of Higher Education Luis Acuña to talk about the violent events occurred lately in some universities.

Father Luis Ugalde, the president of Andrés Bello Catholic University, claimed that rather than violence, he bet for on Venezuela's future. He noted that most important now was to join efforts and work on the country.

Oscar Belloso Medina, the president of Rafael Belloso Chacín University (URBE), noted that they did observe the students' right to demonstration, but deplored actions such as blockade of roads and disturbance of the peace.

Student movement stays in the streets
Student leader at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) Ricardo Sánchez Friday said students would continue to demonstrate in the streets, both to voice rejection against the changes to the Constitution advanced by President Hugo Chávez and to advocate university autonomy.
 
Sánchez claimed that the clashes at the UCV campus last November 7 were part of a government strategy to "cause chaos and violence." "The student movement is here and stays here to defend the university and its autonomy."

Bolivarian students want to launch talks with opposition students
A group of leaders of the Bolivarian Students' Federation Friday appeared in the Ombudsman Office to request cooperation in order to launch talks with the students opposed to the Venezuelan government.
 
The group delivered a paper claiming they have been "vilified" by local television news channel Globovisión, and accused the TV network of waging a "terrorist" campaign against them.

National Guard breaks up student demonstration
National Guard troops Friday broke up with plastic bullets, tear gas and water jets a demonstration students at the Andrés Bello Catholic University (UCAB) were staging in the Francisco Fajardo Avenue to reject the constitutional reform advanced by President Hugo Chávez, local television news channel Globovisión said.
 
According to the report, state security corps broke up the demonstration that partly blocked the highway. The protesters were delivering fliers with information on the proposed changes to the Constitution to the motorists.

The source said the National Guard troops threw tear gas canisters and shot plastic bullets at the demonstrators.