Students from the José Ángel Lamas Higher School of Music denounce serious irregularities in the school administration, including lack of transparency in the management of funds, nepotism, deterioration of infrastructure and a hostile environment. Despite multiple requests, the Ministry of Education and the Ombudsman’s Office do not give them concrete answers.
A series of complaints associated with mismanagement, harassment and lack of transparency shake the Higher School of Music José Ángel Lamas in Caracas, where students, representatives and teachers demand answers to a set of problems that are affecting the functioning of the campus and school coexistence.
The conflict in which a list of alleged administrative irregularities and managerial decisions accumulate intensified on July 31, 2025, when supervision was carried out on campus with the presence of a deputy. During the visit, students demanded a detailed report on the use of student funds collected in the 2022-2023 period, equivalent to $50 per student. To date, they have not received a response or documentation that justifies the destination of these resources.
A group of students reported that although the director of the institution, Silvia Holguín, denied having made dismissals, in August the dismissal of several teachers was finalized, which generated indignation among the educational community. On August 11, the students sent a letter of support to the teachers to the Ministry of Education, which was received, but they did not receive any response.
«The director denied that the possibility of dismissal of the management team was raised, however, we know that she requested it, managed it, and that authorities from the Center for the Development of Educational Quality processed it. At the request of a national supervisor of the Ministry of Education, the director remains in contempt,” said a student at the institution who chose to keep his identity anonymous.
Since July 31, the administration of the educational institution has paralyzed student funds, has not delivered cards to students, and has no reports or documentation from previous years to support administrative management. A student fund in Venezuela is a system of economic and financial support, offered by universities or entities, to help students cover the costs of tuition, living expenses, transportation, materials and other essential academic needs.
The complaints also point to an environment of internal division, harassment and threats towards students and teachers. The educational community points out that the Ministry of Education and the Ombudsman’s Office have ignored the repeated requests for intervention.
Security risks
Although the facilities were restored by the Ministry of Popular Power for Education approximately two years ago, the rains have rapidly deteriorated the infrastructure and generated security risks. Firefighters have issued reports warning about these conditions, but authorities have not addressed them.
With 156 years of experience, the José Ángel Lamas Higher School of Music is a colonial palace in Caracas, designated as a National Historical Monument.
Among the iconic figures of Venezuelan music who studied or taught at this institution are: Vicente Emilio Sojo, Antonio Lauro, Modesta Bor, Evencio Castellanos, Inocente Carreño, and José Antonio Abreu, who formed and developed the country’s musical panorama through the Escuela de Santa Capilla, such as the Orfeón Lamas and the Venezuela Symphony Orchestra.
In addition to the infrastructure problems, there are also accusations of nepotism. The educational community points to the director for creating positions and hiring her family members without credentials. Likewise, the delay in the delivery of ballots and grades persists since 2020, despite the fact that a printer that works was purchased, but not for printing ballots, according to students of the institution who remain anonymous for fear of reprisals.
«What we want is for you to help us, support us, and solve it. “We want a real and trained management team that is under the law, that does things well,” said the student.
The students request to transfer the management of the funds to committees formed by themselves, and add other irregularities such as the administration interrupting classes and, for example, photos of underage students being published on social media platforms without authorization.
The educational community demands transparency, respect and an urgent institutional response to what they consider to be management marked by opacity, abuse and negligence.
SuchWhich He tried to communicate with Silvia Holguín, director of the José Ángel Lamas School of Music, through an email sent to the school’s management on October 28, to verify the situation at the institution. At the time of writing this note, no response was received.
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*Journalism in Venezuela is carried out in a hostile environment for the press with dozens of legal instruments in place to punish the word, especially the laws “against hate”, “against fascism” and “against the blockade.” This content was written taking into consideration the threats and limits that, consequently, have been imposed on the dissemination of information from within the country.
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