The report, submitted by CAFA, Aula Abierta, the University of Ottawa, and Scholars at Risk, documents violations of academic freedom and university autonomy and presents recommendations to the Venezuelan State as part of the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
In July 2026, the Coalition for Academic Freedom in the Americas (CAFA), in collaboration with Aula Abierta, the Human Rights Research and Education Centre at the University of Ottawa, and Scholars at Risk, submitted a report to the United Nations Human Rights Council as part of the fourth cycle of Venezuela’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The document assesses the state of academic freedom and university autonomy in the country and presents recommendations to the Venezuelan State.
The report documents a sustained pattern of attacks against members of the academic community and higher education institutions throughout the current review cycle. Among the main concerns identified are arbitrary detention, harassment and persecution of professors, researchers, and students; restrictions on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly; the erosion of university autonomy through political interference and state intervention; and severe budgetary and labour constraints affecting the functioning of public universities.
The document emphasizes that academic freedom is a fundamental human right, indispensable for the exercise of other rights, including freedom of expression, the right to education, and the right to participate in scientific progress. It also recalls that Venezuela is a party to several international human rights treaties that oblige the State to protect academic freedom and the autonomy of higher education institutions.
Among its key findings, the report points to the continued deterioration of the conditions necessary for the exercise of academic freedom in the country. This trend is also reflected in the Academic Freedom Index, which currently ranks Venezuela among the countries with the most severe restrictions on academic freedom worldwide.
In light of these findings, the signatory organizations call on the UN Human Rights Council and UN Member States to issue specific recommendations urging the Venezuelan State to end the persecution of members of the academic community, investigate human rights violations committed within the higher education sector, guarantee the institutional autonomy of universities in accordance with international standards, undertake reforms to protect academic freedom, and ensure adequate labour conditions, funding, and infrastructure to enable higher education institutions to fulfil their mission.
CAFA reaffirms that protecting academic freedom and university autonomy is essential to strengthening democracy, promoting the production of independent knowledge, and ensuring the effective enjoyment of human rights across the Americas.
Read the full report (English version): Academic Freedom and University Autonomy in Venezuela.