Cutbacks in Ecuador Continue: Will Universities Be Closed?

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Following an announcement by the Ecuadorian government that it intends to cut the universities’ budget by around US$100 million (R$500 million), opposition is growing despite the coronavirus crisis.

Rectors of the 32 affected universities have now turned to the government demanding that the planned measures be revoked.

The government around President Lenín Moreno justifies the plans with the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Public spending has been increasingly reduced in recent years, partly as a result of pressure from creditors such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and private investors. Now, following the collapse of the health care system caused by the spread of the novel coronavirus, Ecuadorians are faced with the threat of yet another serious cutback.

In a joint statement, the university rectors and the Assembly of Higher Education (ASECEC) point out that the maintenance of education is enshrined in the constitution and that if cuts were to be made, “very serious and irreparable damage would be done to national education”.

In addition, scientific research carried out by universities, particularly in times of coronavirus pandemic, would make an extremely significant contribution.

Despite the current contact restrictions, there were public protests in the capital city of Quito, by the Federation of Ecuadorian Students (FEUE) outside the presidential palace and by students of the Central University (UCE). The opposition party Revolución Ciudadana organized a digital protest action.

The rector of the country’s largest university in Guayaquil, with around 70,000 students, Roberto Passailaigue, announced in an interview with the newspaper El Universal that he intended to file a complaint on the grounds of unconstitutionality.

The available budget had already been cut in recent years, from US$175 million in 2018 to US$168 million for the current year. Now only US$155 million would be available – allegedly far too little to continue paying all professors and lecturers required for teaching.

The Vice-Rector of the UCE, María Augusta Espín, also sees a short-term budget cut of around ten percent as an impossible task for her university.

The director of the UCE, Fernando Sempértegui, has already explained that the staff for the doctoral programs in medicine, for instance, could no longer be afforded. The University of Cuenca is also expecting a cut of US$5 million and thus ten percent of the planned budget.

Even the government institution “Senescyt”, which is in charge of public education, voiced concern that after the planned cuts, the universities would no longer be able to provide education as before and as required.

At the UCE, on Tuesday students were been denied the possibility of enrolling for the coming semester.

In addition to university staff, teachers are also affected by the strained economic situation: for April – and thus the second consecutive month – their salaries will be paid with a delay.