“They can cut all the flowers,
But they will never stop the spring.”

A deep sadness has fallen upon the entire student community of Colombia. On March 12th, José Andrés Isaza Velásquez, a 28 year-old law student, was killed within the walls of the Antioquia University. This killing occurs only six days after the student council and its representatives received death threats. Once again, death walks the hallways of the University, once again darkness reigns on campus. The enemies of knowledge continuously bring mourning upon the Colombian student movement. In fact, three days earlier, it was the Guajira University that saw one of its comrades, Éder Enrique Sierra, be killed.

To be against the government’s democratic security policy makes us, students, enemies of the Colombian State and we are threatened at the Industrial University of Santander, at the Technological University of Pereira and at the University of Quindio. In these moments when the schizophrenia of the conflict poisons the dreams of our youth, we must raise our fist higher. We, sons and daughters of Colombia, dream of a country for everyone, a dignified land, free, and built upon the principles of social justice.

The task is not easy. To this humanitarian crisis, that has already left over one hundred people threatened, displaced or killed, we must add the financial asphyxia that the government has brought upon the public universities, the threats of closing some establishments, or privatizing them, as well as the victimization of student leaders, teachers and union activists. Video cameras film all students, seeing in everyone a potential terrorist. Faced with this situation, we must answer with the power of words, strong arguments and conscious mobilizing.

The Colombian government, just like a serpent charmer, attempts to give the idea that the solution to this humanitarian, financial and educational crisis lies in the militarization of university life and in the weight of the military boot on each university in the country and in the political assemblies.
Students, let us assert our selves! May our NO to militarization of university life be heard! No to universities under the military boot. No to universities where violence reigns, whichever it may be. We call upon all mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and family members to come together around our universities and our students, to surround ourselves with hope.

Bogotá D.C., March 16th 2009