CRef release on the confiscation of the Universidad Centroamericana

Press Release from the Council of Rectors of French-speaking Universities (CRef) on the confiscation of the Universidad Centroamericana

It is with great concern that the universities of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (Belgium), united within CRef, have learned of the confiscation of the Universidad Centroamericana (UCA) on Thursday 17 August 2023 by the Nicaraguan government of Daniel Ortega. The confiscation was ordered by a Managua court, which accused the institution of being a "centre of terrorism". This decision led to the university and its teaching being taken over by the State of Nicaragua, which also became the owner of its property. The UCA reportedly had no opportunity to contest this decision. A new management team would have been appointed by the government to run the new (state) university that would replace the UCA. The universities of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation denounce these facts, which appear to be an attack by the current regime on higher education institutions and academic freedom. They express their deepest solidarity with the students and teachers of Universidad Centroamericana.

Council of Rectors (CReF)