Faced with the cuts and errors of the Jalisco Government, as well as the authoritarianism and blackmail from the governor, Rector Ricardo Villanueva assured that the University of Guadalajara (UdeG) will be a balancing factor in the state.
This was detailed during the mega-march “for freedom and autonomy” of the university held yesterday in central Guadalajara, where Villanueva stressed that the governor manipulates the different state powers. For this reason, the UdeG will become the entity that will give a voice to those who do not have one.
Villanueva said, “The UdeG must assume the weight and responsibility of the political balance in Jalisco, because the authoritarians believe that by dissenting they are doubled. And no, governor, nobody wants to double you. If we wanted, it would be for you to leave.”
Despite the “dirty war waged by the Government of Jalisco,” the university authorities confirmed that more than 103,000 students, teachers, marched to the Plaza de la Liberación. The Civil Protection Unit of Jalisco estimated only 46,000 people.
Villanueva continued, “As of today, this university, in the face of the lack of division of powers, in the face of the submission of political parties in exchange for money for works in their municipalities, in the face of things as banal as the money that today the governor conditions to buy loyalties, now this fight is for dignity, for respect, and for the legality of the people of Jalisco.”
Raúl Padilla leads protest
The former rector of the UdeG and current president of the Board of Trustees of the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL), Raúl Padilla López, was present at the demonstration to demand the freedom and autonomy of the university.
Moments before the contingent departed from the rectory of the UdeG at the intersection of Vallarta and Enrique Díaz de León avenues, Padilla arrived, and stood at the front to lead the march alongside the Rector Ricardo Villanueva. Some of the attendees applauded his arrival, and when he left, he walked arm in arm with the director of the Juan José Arreola Public Library, Trinidad Padilla López, and the former rector of CUValles, Miguel Ángel Navarro, until arriving at the Plaza de la Liberación .
Although he preferred to stay away from the microphones, Padilla accompanied the speakers on the platform who gave the speeches and positions regarding the reasons for the protest, and remained with the rectors and former rectors of different university centers, as well as characters such as the director of the Civil Hospitals of Guadalajara, Jaime Federico Andrade, the senator for Citizen Movement, Alberto Galarza, the federal deputy, Claudia Delgadillo, and the deputy Mara Robles, among others.
The last time that Padilla had attended an event at the UdeG was last December during the inauguration of the 35th edition of the FIL, in addition to when he went, last October, to the swearing in of the mayors of Guadalajara, Pablo Lemus, and of Zapopan, Juan José Frangie.
The contingent brought together workers from the Central Administration, the Museum of Arts (MUSA), the community of some metropolitan and regional high schools, and the University Center for Biological and Agricultural Sciences (CUCBA).
The university community comes to defend young people: STAUdeG
The general secretary of STAUdeG, Jesús Palafox Yáñez, emphasized that the reason for yesterday’s mega-march was to defend the educational present and future of young people in Jalisco.
He said, “The university community comes to defend young people who want to study. This march is for the defense of this academic institution, and for the dignity of university students. In addition to that, we want to point out to the governor that he is a man who does not respect the rule of law, and that he is a dictator, who does not respect the division of powers.
“Our university is the only balance that exists in Jalisco. We point out their mistakes and everything they are doing wrong, and the governor does not like that.”
Palafox argued that the Government of Jalisco does not understand that the UdeG is only in charge of training good men and women for the state.
“With great pride and dignity, here we are. This student community has a presence throughout the country. It is sad that the governor pits the people of Jalisco against the UdeG. He does not deserve to occupy the position he has, because he has been wrong many times, and has not respected the law.”
For his part, the secretary of STAUdeG’s agreements, Jorge Vargas Moreno, stressed that the UdeG cannot be abandoned, and asked for the support of residents to support the student community.
“Our demand is to recover the budget of 140 million pesos that was taken from us, and to ensure that the autonomy of this university is respected,” he said.
Vargas said that they should no longer give in to the governor’s whims and tantrums.
“I want you to understand and see reason. A governor who does not bet on education brings many negative effects to his people. He would like us not to criticize his public policies, but here we will continue to do so because it is what should be done,” he added.
Regarding the budget and the vacancies, Vargas said that there is a lack of resources to hire more teachers.
“We need the budget that was designated for us, and that is why we want to be heard. Rector Villanueva has approached the Government of Jalisco, but our demands are not taken into account.”
They disapprove of management
The director of High School 9, Ramón Balpuesta Pérez, said that education is always a priority for the construction of society, and added that the governor is wrong because he does not want to dialogue with the University of Guadalajara.
He said, “We have no other alternative than to take to the streets in the face of an insensitive government that does not listen to us. When he needed our support, we were always there. Now he turns his back on us. Another requirement is that society claims insecurity and violence. That is what he should focus on instead of attacking an institution that benefits Jalisco.”
The director of the Ciudad Guzmán Regional High School, Carlos Márquez Villarreal, explained that the governor has defrauded the student community, and also those who gave him their votes.
“We have received mistreatment by a governor who was studying in our classrooms. It is not fair that a budget that was already assigned to us is taken away from us.”
The director of the Zacoalco de Torres Regional High School, Sergio Aguilar Moncayo, stated that the social claim is becoming stronger, because this state administration has increased the debt, and has distanced itself from its citizens.
They denounce obstruction by the government
Through the traffic police, the state government tried to boycott the start of yesterday’s mega-march, complained the university authorities.
The executive vice-chancellor of the UdeG, Héctor Raúl Solís Gadea, pointed out that the road operations were used to stop the buses that would take the students to the city center, in campuses such as the University Center for Administrative Economic Sciences (CUCEA) and the University Center of Atequiza.
Solís added that the Citizen Movement party should not have that name if it chooses to repress every demonstration or protest that makes it uncomfortable, since it is precisely the movement of citizens that generates changes in society.
The general secretary of the UdeG, Guillermo Gómez Mata, added that the placards were even removed from the buses, which prevented the movement of 50% of the buses. The foregoing, Gómez pointed out, stands in the way of the constitutional right to free demonstration.
The protest march took place peacefully. According to what was reported by the UEPCBJ, the Municipal Medical Services provided pre-hospital care to two people due to fainting, but stabilized them onsite.