Nicaraguan Army’s UAM university shuts doors to UCA students

Managua’s American University (UAM) canceled the enrollment of more than 600 students from the recently confiscated Central American University (UCA), who had transferred to the UAM to avoid studying at the newly created government controlled Casimiro Sotelo University.

University sources told CONFIDENCIAL that the measure to expel the students was “an order” from the first lady and vice president, Rosario Murillo, who intends to force all students to stay at the “new” Ortega controlled university and “keep away” from the UAM those whom she considers ” anti-Sandinistas”.

The UAM —owned by the Nicaraguan Army— had offered to validate the classes for the students and set a monthly fee of $150. However, this Tuesday they were taken out of the classrooms after they had already paid, a student confirmed.

This university was the most viable option for numerous UCA students, who are not willing to submit to the indoctrination imposed by Ortega on the campus stolen from the UCA, to continue their professional training.

They say classes at the new university begin on August 28

Some students of the UCA showed up on Tuesday, August 22, at the campus, but regime operators prevented their entry and assured them that classes would start on Monday, August 28.

In a video released on social networks, a person assured the group of students “not to worry about enrollment” and that they are “working” on the class registration process.  However the party operator could not even name the virtual system —Power Campus— used previously by the UCA for academic management.

Likewise, the Ortega operator accused —without evidence— the Jesuits of “taking” the money of those who previously enrolled. “Unfortunately, the money that was paid in advance will not be returned because the Jesuits took it,” the man said as the students laughed mockingly. Everyone knows the dictatorship froze the UCA accounts on August 9.

The unofficial spokesman assured that the registration of subjects and enrollments are done online and insisted that next Monday classes will resume in a “normal” way. To enter the campus, students must present their student or ID card.

The Ortega regime summarily confiscated the 63-year-old UCA last week, under the fabricated charge of terrorism with no evidence. The new authorities appointed by the National Council of Universities (CNU) made crystal clear the partisan control of the ruling Sandinista Front over the new state university during the inaugural act, on Friday, August 18.

With the UCA, the regime has confiscated 27 private higher education institutions in a year and a half and created five state universities to accomodate the displaced student population estimated at 42,000 young people, affected by the repressive measure imposed by Ortega against their universities.

According to the CNU authorities, the confiscated UCA will be completely free. However, they said the same thing with the previous universities confiscated, and later, they continued to collect monthly fees, despite having 6% of the state budget designated for public universities in Nicaragua.

This article was originally published in Spanish in Confidencial and translated by Havana Times.