The dean of a Guatemalan university calls for a solution to the crisis

Without referring to accusations of fraud and requests to resign from students, Mazariegos addressed “the sectors directly or indirectly affected by the partial or total suspension of their academic activities due to the seizure of facilities or the refusal of professors to teach their courses in the virtual method”.

The former Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, accompanied by Secretary-General Luis Fernando Cordon, members of the Supreme University Council and directors of various units, announced his readiness through dialogue to resolve the current crisis so that teaching, administrative, research and awareness activities take place. Back to normal.

According to Mazarigos, 90 percent of students take lessons and 93 percent of professors teach, a figure he was able to take credit for from rallying students in a refusal to enforce it as a result of a rigged election.

He noted that “it is in my interest that activities are normalized as soon as possible and in the near future return to class for face-to-face lessons,” and called on the Human Rights Ombudsman to accompany the process of dialogue and mediation.

In his letter to the Sancarlista community and residents, he made clear that among the priorities to be resolved are the handing over of professional titles to recent graduates, the holding of public and special exams for students at the completion stage, and the integration of more than 75,000 young people into the only public university.

Likewise, he expressed his interest in resolving the outstanding processes of teacher promotion and diverting financial resources to pay salaries for teachers and administrative staff.

He explained that in order to reach the agreements that we all want, we need to strengthen mediation and support a committee appointed by the Supreme League Council.

“We are committed to the request officially submitted by a group of people interested in opening the campus to re-establish academic and administrative operations,” he stressed.

Mazarigos’ comments come nearly four months after he was elected president of USAC, a process that has been described as rigged by dissident student and teacher groups and those clamoring for a new calling without vices.

jha / mk