About one hundred students from the National University of San Marcos, Peru’s oldest university in Lima, occupied one of the entrances of the academic institution on Monday (December 4) calling for the ejection of the university’s rector from his post.
The students are demanding the full resignation of Pedro Cotillo, who by law, is being forced to abandon his position immediately. Cotillo has been found to be in violation of Peru’s “New University Law,” which is seeking to improve education in the country. According to investigations, the public schools are being used more as businesses than as houses of learning. In addition, students are struggling to secure direct representation in the university administration.
Cotillo has said “only with tanks” will he be removed.
Students threw rocks at university staff working with Cotillo.
Teachers and students chanted; “Cotillo, listen, San Marcos hates you!”
Politics Professor, Carlos Salcedo, said Cotillo is in violation with no remaining authority.
“The rector has disobeyed the university law which establishes the end of the mandate of the authorities who were elected with the old law. He has declared his opposition to the law and that has led the Peruvian government, through the supervision of universities, to remove legal value from all documents that may be issued from this year on, by these authorities,” Salcedo said.
According to local media, the National Superintendency of Higher Education (Sunedu) and the government warned that leaders of five state universities around the country found in violation of the law who fail to step down from their posts will have their authority stripped from them.
As a result, signed diplomas from the five universities will have no legal effect.
The law states the current presidents of five national universities had until Dec. 31 to change leadership positions.
Cesar Jara, who is the general secretary of the San Marcos student consensus said Cotillo must accept this decision.
“Mr. Cotillo, please, please stop being selfish. Titles come and go. Right now, the students, we want to serve the people and you are getting in our way. And if you continue to be an obstacle, have no doubt you will be removed as would be deserved. Because you are not going to stay a minute longer in San Marcos, at the expense of the dignity of this house of study, which has been formed over the last 450 years,” Jara said.
The new education law mandates elections be held in universities where all students must participate and not just a group of representatives, which experts say is a model that leads to corruption.
On Monday a new interim rector was named at San Marcos, Antonia Castro.
“Under article 94 of the current statue of the university, we have declared an interim academic rector as the governing authority of the university,” Castro said.
Peru has a total of 142 universities, of which around 130 have low academic performances, according to agency reports. (Reuters)
