What Venezuelan Students Initially asked for on February 10 (Historical document)

Document # UCV FCU addressed to the Minister @ RodriguezT_MIJP #FreeTheStudentsNOW  pic.twitter.com/dfo0Tmsbbz tweeted by Juan Requesens ‏12:24 PM - 10 Feb 2014

In the communication below to a representative of the Maduro government, student leader Juan Requesens laid out on February 10, 2014 the conditions for a dialogue with the government which focused on two areas: 1) release of students who had engaged in protests as is their constitutional rights and 2) For the government to stop accusing them of being "coup plotters" and "terrorists" for holding nonviolent demonstrations.  The Maduro government's response was the extrajudicial execution of students, more arrests and the continued use of extreme language against students who are peacefully protesting.

Juan Requesens, President FCU UCV

February 10, 2014

Mr. Rodríguez Torres.

Minister of Popular Power for the Interior , Justice and Peace .

Through this communication we are writing to you in order to reject categorically, on behalf of the national student community, the arrest of our classmates in Tachira and the mistreatment of high school students and transfer to Coro for thir eventual imputation. Also the repression suffered by students in various houses of study . Students exercising the legitimate right to protest and are now treated as criminals . Every call to dialogue , is useless to the extent that students are detained , and the student movement that has been consistent with the recognition , the depolarization and the call for joint work between state bodies and bodies representing students can not accept the detention of students.

This student movement , stands apart completely from a violent agenda , it is not our nature and we have demonstrated in all the mobilizaitons and protests that have taken place, what we can not accept is the blackmail of being labeled as "coup plotters" or " terrorists " if we use our main tool for demanding our rights .

Finally, we demand likewise, the response presently about those detained , their release and the immediate formation of working groups to address issues related to insecurity and violence in our home campuses.

Juan Requesens
President FCU UCV

Sr. Rodríguez Torres.
Ministro del Poder Popular para las Relaciones Interiores, Justicia y Paz.

Por medio de la presente nos dirigimos a usted con la finalidad de rechazar categóricamente, de parte de la comunidad estudiantil nacional, la detención de nuestros compañeros de estudio del Táchira, así como los maltratos sufridos por los bachilleres, y el traslado a Coro para su eventual imputación. Así mismo la represión sufrida por los estudiantes en diversas casas de estudio. Estudiantes que ejercían el legítimo derecho a la protesta y que hoy son tratados como criminales. Todo llamado a dialogo, es inútil en la medida en que los estudiantes permanezcan detenidos, y este movimiento estudiantil que ha sido consecuente con el reconocimiento, la despolarización y el llamado a trabajo conjunto entre los órganos del Estado y las instancias de representación estudiantil no puede aceptar, la detención de estudiantes.

Este movimiento estudiantil, se desmarca absolutamente de la agenda violenta, no es nuestra naturaleza y lo hemos demostrado en todas la movilizaciones y protestas que hemos llevado a cabo, lo que si no podemos aceptar es el chantaje de ser calificados como “golpistas” o “terroristas” si usamos nuestra principal herramienta para exigir derechos.

Para terminar exigimos asi mismo, la respuesta del presente sobre los detenidos, su liberación y la inmediata conformación de mesas de trabajo para tratar los temas relacionados a la inseguridad y la violencia en nuestras casas de estudio.

Juan Requesens
Presidente FCU UCV