Students March in Support of Amendment to Venezuela’s Constitution

Mérida, January 22, 2009 (venezuelanalysis.com)– Thousands of university and high school students in Caracas, the states of Barinas, Lara, Anzoategui, and Sucre,  as well as in other cities, marched yesterday in support of the constitutional amendment to be put to public vote on February 15, and in rejection of the recent provocative violent acts by some members of the opposition.

The students in Caracas marched from the Bolivarian University of Venezuela, accompanied by the minister for Higher Education, Luis Acuña.

Acuña made reference to the achievements in education under Chavez, specifically the increased number of places in higher education, spoke against the students of the Metropolitan University, Santa Maria, and the Central University of Venezuela who had participated in acts of violence and blocked roads, and said that debate was preferable to such behavior.

Representing students of the Central University of Venezuela, Andrea Pacheco said that the students weren’t just marching in support of the amendment, but also to re-assert the student movement.

“In the past students were assassinated and repression only allowed for violent protests, but today this isn’t justified, this government swapped repression for scholarships, inclusion, and new universities,” Pacheco said.

The march finished in the Plaza O’Leary, where bands played songs in support of peace, socialism and the constitutional amendments to eliminate the two-term limit on electoral office.