In defense of a critical academy and for the cessation of the criminalization of researchers in Venezuela

Groups of CLACSO Working Group We, the undersigned, express our deep concern and rejection of the unfounded accusations against academics and research institutions in Venezuela.

Through state media, it has been suggested that sociologists such as Edgardo Lander, Emiliano Teran Mantovani, Alexandra Martínez, the researcher and environmental activist Santiago Arconada, and the anthropologist Francisco Javier Velasco act as “instruments of political interference and international coordination against the Venezuelan State” because of their critical positions on the policies of the Venezuelan government and, especially, because of their questioning of the extractive expansion in Venezuela.

Similarly, they have pointed to CENDES and the Political Ecology Observatory as institutions that are part of a "network of organizations and actors" that establish "international frameworks adverse to the country's development policies."

The aforementioned academics have long and distinguished careers both nationally and internationally, with numerous publications and teaching and research activities linked to the approaches of political ecology, environmental management, and models of society. For its part, CENDES has over 60 years of history and has been a leading institution in Venezuela and the region, while the Observatory has made innovative contributions to environmental issues in the country from a research perspective and through work with communities. Both institutions are Centers of the Council
Latin American Council of Social Sciences, CLACSO.

We strongly reject We condemn the attacks made against academics and research institutions, and we reaffirm our commitment to defending a critical and independent academy in Venezuela and Latin America. This situation points to a very dangerous regressive drift that could lead to more intense persecution of dissenting voices in this country.

Well-founded academic critiques of extractivism have provided essential and valuable insights into the diverse impacts of this model and explored alternatives for Latin America. Mining projects like the Orinoco Mining Arc in Venezuela have left profound scars on our territories and communities, and warrant critical and informed analyses of their societal and economic consequences.

We condemn the harassment of research on these crucial issues, especially in the context of a global environmental crisis.

The rise of authoritarianism of various types and tendencies in our region has been directed with particular force against academia and critical thinking, dismantling institutions and persecuting academics to foster societies devoid of dissent and the resources needed to think from perspectives different from the status quo. We speak out against this.

As Working Groups, we reiterate our commitment to the peoples, communities, and ecosystems devastated by the advance of extractivism, in any country where this occurs, under any government that promotes it. The tradition of critical thought in Latin America, of which political ecology is a part, has immeasurable value for our region, insofar as it confronts all forms of coloniality and contributes to the liberation of our peoples. We defend the continuation of this tradition.

Now more than ever, we need a critical academy, one that is neither docile nor complacent with power.
The defense of human rights and nature, and environmental protection, cannot be demonized by governments in the name of a supposed attack on the 'interests of the state and the nation'. These are, instead, advances in the struggles of the people that must expand.

We reiterate our full solidarity with academics and leading institutions in Venezuela and the region. We demand an end to the harassment of all critical academic thought and guarantees for their safety and rights. In the face of a crisis like the one we are experiencing, what we need is more democracy, not less.

We urgently request and call upon the CLACSO Board of Directors to speak out regarding the seriousness of the situation, in defense of these academics, members of CLACSO centers, and free thought.

August 18th, 2025
CLACSO Working Groups:
Political ecology(ies) from the South/Abya-Yala
Indigenous peoples, autonomies and collective rights
Critical Studies of Rural Development
Latin American and Caribbean Critical Geographical Thought
Ruralities and political transitions in Central America and Colombia
Indigenous Peoples and Epistemic-Territorial Disputes
Feminisms, resistance and emancipation
Social metabolism/Environmental justice
Collective memories and resistance practices

This statement expresses the position of the aforementioned Working Group and not necessarily that of the centers and institutions that make up the CLACSO international network, its Steering Committee or its Executive Secretariat.