Heredia: "I have seen the crisis of leaders, they have come to ask for charges"

Esther Mamani / La Paz

The highest authority of the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA), Óscar Heredia, assures that he does not believe in the student leadership, “less if they are corrupt and prebendal.” He says that he had to face them when in his fifth application to the rector’s office they even asked for gifts.

The public university system is in suspense before the evidence of a corruption apparatus with “dinosaur” leaders who have political ties and enjoy privileges. This was uncovered after the death of four university students in Potosí in an assembly in which small spaces of power were played out in a larger mosaic: co-government and university autonomy.

Heredia declares himself a defender of this modality that does not allow interference. He highlights that although there are “false” students who act as leaders, they were elected by the student bases and only they can remove them, he says in an interview with Page Seven.

What is the student population at UMSA?

We have 77,235 students enrolled. There is a difference between enrolled and enrolled, who are those who take the subjects. This data is relative because it is based on the careers themselves according first to the taking of subjects. Approximately 8,000 students a year enter the university and graduate in the range of five years, which is normal.

Why does UMSA have more than 1,400 university “dinosaurs”?

The subject of student permanence in this university, and I believe that in most universities, is not defined by law. I can tell you that there are people who have been at UMSA for more than 11 years and there are 16,213 when the degrees last four or five years. It is an element exclusively for compliance with the curricular design or the pensum.

There may be variations according to the characteristics and political, economic and social situations, that can determine an extension range. There are problems of qualification in this university, not graduation. We have made a directed work regulation through which, putting theory into practice, graduates can be entitled with three reports. After two years, graduates cannot buy tuition; therefore, the university does not recognize them as university students and society does not recognize them as professionals because they do not have a degree. Being a graduate is nothing, there is no graduate category.

The university should ensure that the degree materializes in the time of each career. How to achieve it?

That has to be determined. A range between five to seven years is fine, it depends on the characteristics. But they have to be students, not pretend or make believe that they are students.

What budget does the university allocate for these “real and fake” students?

The cost of the studies is between 3,000 and 4,000 dollars for each university student. However, there are faculties that have 13,000 students and are only theoretical, but there are other faculties and careers that have equipment, laboratories -such as Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry- that have fewer students; So, the topic is going to be much broader.

You have to do a deep analysis, but in simple numbers of the global budget that is what each student costs the university.

You had to apply five times to win the rectorship. How important was the student leadership in your applications?

I am an anti-systemic man. I do not believe in student leaders, worse if they are prebendal and corrupt.

Have you stumbled upon that power you mention?

Yes. I have experienced that leadership crisis because no dean, director, Faculty Center, Career Center and Local University Federation supported the One Hundred Percent UMSA Front because we were anti-systemic.

In the first election there was an electoral pause generated by a rector at the time who did not want us to win. The first time I participated “without being anyone” I faced two powerful fronts: the university ruling party and the government ruling party, a former rector and a former minister with two portfolios.

In the second instance I win the elections but they “turn them over”. They make the Electoral Committee and the Electoral Guarantees Commission resign so that there are no elections in April. I had no support from any party structure of any kind, not even institutional; everything was with their own resources, as it always has been.

In the second, everyone knew we had won, but the election was stolen from us. When we had to win there was an electoral pause in the name of the social and political conflict. In the April elections we won resoundingly in 13 faculties in teaching and in 11 student faculties

Did the student leadership approach you to give you their support in exchange for charges?

Yes, but few people dared because I am a straight forward man. If you come to be prebendal, go away; if you think that I will give you food, go away; if you want salteñas, if you want a party, go. We need people with conviction and we got it.

In the last election I can tell you that many people have come to be part of this team knowing that we were going to win. When Heredia went to eat with his bases, he invited, it’s true. Because I have learned at home that when there are four dishes and a fifth person comes, the food is enough for everyone. So if I was going to eat something, I couldn’t let people see me eat and that was the only time.

The student leaders are questioned for staying in power. Are they investigated at UMSA?

Yes, yes, yes, it will. The political will is defined. Our decision is to send to processes those who fail to comply with the regulations and institutionality.

Deadlines?

That will depend on the Process Commission that was elected in January. It is already working and the instances will determine the deadlines.

What investigations are there against student leaders?

Investigations there. There are several processes that have been accumulating. Many processes that at some point I will be able to publish them all, but you have to respect the rights. There is for harassment, there is for corruption and some usufruct.

You appointed lawyer Israel Centellas as secretary general of UMSA. In a photograph, Centellas appears with Álvaro Quelali, executive secretary of the FUL, kneeling in front of him. What is the relationship with the Local University Federation?

I don’t know that act, I think it’s a meme. The link that the general secretary you are asking me about could have is personal responsibility. When I talked to him about that meme, I asked him if it was real and maybe it was a montage. That will be determined by investigations.

Profession Óscar Heredia is an economist and professor emeritus at UMSA
Training He has a Ph.D. in political science and international relations, among other graduate degrees.
Rector Since April 2021 he has been rector of the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, by vote.