Scientists and the Venezuelan Crisis

Abstract

The current political crisis in Venezuela threatens to destroy the Venezuelan scientific infrastructure, built up during the past 50 years. During 2002, the Ministry of Science and Technology received only one-third of the approved budget, and most of the spending was diverted to maintain its bureaucracy. In 2003, the government is actively engaged in a continuous dismantling of scientific research. Specifically, it has decided to restructure Intevep, the well-known research and development institute of the national oil company PDVSA. On 4 February, the government expelled 881 employees from Intevep. This and other hapless decisions, such as the arbitrary imposition of a new law regulating science and technology, containing provisions allowing for authoriarian interference from the central government, undermine the continuity of the modest but high-quality scientific activity of Venezuela, which was ranked fifth among Latin American countries. Likewise, universities are not counting on, or expecting, budgetary resources to guarantee their operation, as even salaries for professors and employees are at risk. The budget for higher education is being cut by 22% in the first semester of 2003, while the bolivar, the local currency, has lost more than half of its value during the past year. With real buying power reduced to about one-third of that in 2002 and with free access to foreign currencies blocked by decree, libraries will be unable to maintain subscriptions, and most research will have to be suspended. Such circumstances have been experienced elsewhere in Latin America before. We envision a stampede of scientists to neighboring and developed world countries, a hiatus in the growth of young researchers, and the slowing and even disappearance of a research community that has shown moderate but continuous growth over the past five decades. Although our political crisis will have to be resolved by ourselves, the awareness of our tragedy in the international scientific community might help reduce its devastating effects.