Threatened science: researchers in Venezuela fear for their future
Threatened science: researchers in Venezuela fear for their future
President Nicolás Maduro continues his offensive against the political opposition, while more and more researchers are considering leaving the country in Venezuela. Since the National election authority declared him the winner of the controversial presidential election in July, his government has arrested more than 1,600 people, including students and professors, according to the human rights organization foro penal from Caracas. Edmundo González, who competed against Maduro in the election, fled to Spain on September 8th to avoid arrest.
Scientists, some of which want to remain anonymous in conversation with nature, since they fear retaliation measures by the government, report that Research in Venezuela was already censored and they expect the situation to continue to deteriorate. They refer to a recently adopted law that was issued by Maduro's government and regulates the non -state organizations (NGOs), which some researchers rely on financing or publishing their research. This last chapter in Maduro's rule could mean the end of independent Science in the country, they say.
"I'm afraid to speak to you," said the biologist Jaime Requena, which was in retirement, to nature, while he nervously prepared his departure from the country, for fear that the authorities confiscated his passport to prevent his departure. "Science here quickly goes down the stream."
The Maduro government did not respond to an inquiry for comment.
The Ministry of Volkspower for Science and Technology in Venezuela reports that about 24,000 people are employed in research and development. However, this number is exaggerated because it includes all the people who have a degree and maintains the staff who cleans and repairs, says Requena, Which monitors the number of scientists in the country . In 2004, when science in Venezuela was more stable, only about 7,100 scientists were active in research, says Requena, who is a member of the Venezolan Academy of Physical, Mathematical and Natural Sciences.
Since the Ministry of Science no longer publishes clear, reliable information about its expenses, Requena evaluates research in scientific journals as an indicator of the health of Venezuelan science. An still unpublished analysis that he carried out last year indicates that there are now a maximum of 1,200 still active scientists.
emigration
According to Maduro's explanation as the winner of the presidential elections in July, protests broke out. The European Union, the United States and most South American countries have questioned the legitimacy of the result and demanded that Maduro publish a complete counting.
The Venezolan economy has been Maduro's office in 2013 in the crisis . The gross domestic product fell from around $ 373 billion in 2012 to around $ 44 billion in 2020 and has now easily recovered to USD 106 billion. National science financing is around 0.3–0.4 % of it (the average for OECD countries is 2.7 %). Almost 8 million people - about a quarter of the Venezuelan population - estimated to leave the country to escape violence, hunger and poverty.
Young scientists leave the country in search of high -quality education or stable career perspectives. Those who remain are mostly older researchers - Requena Research suggests that the average age is 55 years - which are financially stable or can use international connections to receive financing.
But even experienced researchers have left the country. María Eugenia Grillet, a 64-year-old biologist who examines the epidemiology of diseases transferred by mosquitoes, moved to Colombia in December 2023 to avoid power outages and to be able to carry out research freely. Previously, she was a researcher at the Central University of Venezuela in Caracas, where she earned $ 70 a month. "Daily life is very hard for everyone, and it gets worse in the face of the political situation," she says.
in severe deficiency
Public research institutions and universities that employ most of the remaining scientists in Venezuela have difficulties in keeping their doors open, due to the lack of government income and for politically employed civil servants who mismanage education and science budgets, say. Equipment, materials and staff are scarce.
"But it is not just financing," says Cristina Burelli, the director of Sosorinoco, a representative of interests in Caracas who works with researchers who anonymously document the ecological degradation of the country's forests. "It is de-institutionalization and de-professionalism in the industry," she adds. "It is the conscious attempt to take out everyone who knows something, everyone who can question the government."
The academic freedom in the country began under Maduros To disappear predecessor , Hugo Chávez, whose government took control of the financing in the name of the socialism of the 21st century, which was previously awarded directly to researchers from private companies. Chávez also gave "Community Councils" - groups of citizens - the power to determine the budgets of the universities and to choose the vice chancellor of the universities.
a frightening law
Today people work who examine topics that could potentially represent an advertising problem for Venezuela-for example the resuscitation of once erotted diseases or the pollution of the Amazon rainforest by Illegal mining activities -anonymous or from another country, where they are outside the reach of the government, or censor what they publish.
researchers are concerned about the entry into force of a law called human rights groups as an anti-NGO law. This law, which was adopted on August 15, requires NGOs to share information about its financing, which is sometimes used to finance research projects, with the Venezuelan government. According to the law, it is to ensure that civil society groups "no fascism, no intolerance or no hatred of racist, ethnic, religious, political, social, ideological or gender reasons" promote.
researchers who spoke to nature say that the law of the government gives the discretion against everyone whose motifs do not promise it. "Academics at [leading universities] are absolutely frightened before the anti-NGO law and have therefore been silenced," said a group of Venezuelan researchers in a statement after asked for anonymity.
Requena says that science in Venezuela has come a step closer to death. "Science ensures that we are not isolated, that our heads can come together to produce things that help all humanity," he says. "There is a feeling of being part of humanity, and I can't imagine not being part of humanity."