:quality(85)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/RTKBIIZ3QND2HAK44EVCGKCE2I.jpg "National University has a new rector, despite lack of support: Ministry of Education prepares guardianship")
José Ismael Peña, new rector of the National University, took office by public deed – credit Johan Manolo Largo/Infobae
With the signing of a public deed before Notary Office 14 of Bogotá, José Ismael Peña took office on Thursday, May 2, as the new rector of the National University of Colombia, for a period that will last four years and replacing Dolly Montoya. An act considered controversial, since it was done without the signature of the Minister of Education, Aurora Vergara, who opposed the decision made.
Peña, who was chosen by the Higher University Council (CSU) on March 21, in a decision that unleashed an internal crisis within the higher education institution, went before the notarial entity and placed his signature on the document with which legalized, as indicated by those around him, his arrival at one of the most important positions in the education sector in Colombia.
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The election of José Ismael Peña has unleashed a wave of protests at the National University – credit Camila Díaz/Colprensa
In deed 0676, as leaked on social networks, the systems engineer of the university faculty, and who has specializations in Philosophy of Science, Pedagogy and Agile Project Management in his academic curriculum, took office, before the front office the office of lawyer Érika Andrea Macías Cárdenas, and with the following participants, among whom there are five members of CSU:
- Linda María Cabrera Cifuentes
- Miguel Roberto Farfan Rojas
- José Felipe Pete
- María Alejandra Guzmán Pardo
- Nohora Patricia Olaya Castillo
- Maria Elizabeth Montoya Ceballos
- Fernando Sanchez Torres
With this writing, José Ismael Peña sought to declare himself as the new rector of the National University, without having the signature of the Minister of Education – credit Infobae Colombia
“By means of this public instrument, the appearing parties present for protocolization, safekeeping and safekeeping in the archives of this notary the document of ACT OF POSSESSION OF THE RECTOR OF THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF COLOMBIA”, was reflected in the deed with which Peña intended to take possession as the new rector of the faculty.
In this regard, the Ministry of Education, which did not sign the minutes that endorse the election of Peña as rector of the National University, confirmed that it will file a protection against this document, since they do not consider it legal. The reason is centered on the fact that when asked to see the recordings of the meetings held by the Higher University Council, there was no response.
“The statement that it is possible to validate the election minutes with the signature of only five of the eight members is not true. Validity cannot be given to a record that, in the opinion of this ministry, does not fully and transparently record the discussions, records and meaning of the votes that took place in the election, as defined in article 20 of Agreement 019 of 2022. , indicated the ministry.
Aurora Vergara, Minister of Education, opposed the appointment of José Ismael Peña as rector of the National University – credit Ministry of Education
In this order of ideas, the ministry invited the members of the CSU who, according to them, “do not find the debate or discussions reflected in the election and possession record,” to refrain from signing it until the document contains, in accordance with the transparency that must prevail in these cases, “all the records that were made by the members of the Council during the vote.”
For the ministry, it is clear that there was a change not only in the methodology of the election, but in the votes expressed by the councilors, since the election of Leopoldo Múnera was expected, who had obtained the support of the teaching staff and students. Furthermore, he confirmed that there is resistance on the part of the General Secretariat of the University, apparently “without reasonable justifications.”
In other words: for the ministry this case means a rupture, not only of the procedure carried out, but of what it called the “democratic principle, the legality of the process and the validity of the act of election itself.” And he rejected that the act of possession had been carried out in an alternative way to those defined, which is why they made an urgent call to respect the current institutional channels.