Solidarity with Striking Puerto Rican University Students

The following was posted by Puerto Rican student leader on Facebook as a call to solidarity - solidarity messages can be sent to the following Facebook account:

Thay Moya added 2 new photos.

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For my English speakers here in Puerto Rico, in the U.S., and globally, here is a press release about whats going on here with our public education system and the government. Join us in solidarity!

SHARING is caring y'all so lets make this viral!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 23rd, 2017

A CALL TO ACTION FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO

On April 7th 2017, at approximately 2:00 AM, students at the University of Puerto Rico- Mayagüez Campus elected to join the systemic university wide strike by a landslide popular vote in response to the proposed budget cuts towards the UPR system. The University of Puerto Rico, established in

1903, is the only public university system in the country not only servicing a very diverse student body but also offering the largest and most diverse course offerings, research, and services to the community in the Caribbean. Under the oversight of the U.S. Fiscal Control Board and Governor Ricardo Rossello’s administration, the government has proposed a budget cut of $512M representing more than 60% of the actual budget which is already in deficit. A budget cut of such magnitude represents the potential collapse of our public university system, the cease of critical services to the Puerto Rican community, the elimination of crucial research utilized by the local and global community, and threatens the ability for Puerto Rican people to access public and affordable education necessary to strengthen our workforce and rectify our economic crisis.

In the face of overwhelming evidence pointing towards government corruption, students are using the systemic strike to pressure the current governing bodies to cease the

proposed budget cuts, provide economic transparency to the Puerto Rican people, and engage in effective dialogue with the students. Thus, students have declared the termination of the strike conditional upon the meeting of these five demands: (1) that the debt be audited, (2) students not be penalized for engaging or openly expressing viewpoints in favor of the strike, (3) zero cuts occur to the university budget, (4) a reform to the university system take place, (5) and lastly that tuition not be raised and tuition waivers remain intact. Behind university gates students are working on proposals to present to the government as alternatives to the proposed budget cuts to the UPR system as well as viable solutions to the island wide economic crisis.

The pressure generated by the strike to date has produced a meeting between Gov. Rossello and student council presidents of all 11 campuses which resulted in limited dialogue from Gov. Rossello and zero negotiation. Frequent communications have also been sent out by the acting President of the UPR system, Nivia A. Fernandez, favoring a cessation of the student strike even in the face of losing the public university system. Mass media outlets such as El Nuevo Día, Metro, and Lo Se Todo have also contributed to movements in opposition of the strike using fear tactics and misinformation.

This is an urgent call to the Puerto Rican diaspora, institutions of higher education in the U.S., the community of foreigners living on the island, and the global community to stand in solidarity with the University of Puerto Rico and its students. Many government and university officials are refusing to open necessary channels of dialogue with students. Voices outside of the island are necessary in the transmission of correct information and to increase pressure towards the Puerto Rican government and Fiscal Control Board. Without the University of Puerto Rico system, Puerto Rico collapses leaving approximately 3.5 million people in the middle of a financial crisis, with less educational opportunities, less services, and minimal tools to produce viable solutions for the country.

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#huelga2017
#11Recintos1UPR
#pressrelease