Max Mendoza traveled to 8 countries in three years and spent over US$23,000

 The university leader and member of the CEUB presidium visited several capital cities abroad to attend congresses, political meetings and even sporting events.

The top university leader and member of the Presidium of the Executive Committee of the Bolivian University (CEUB), Max Mendoza Parra, traveled to eight countries between 2018 and 2021. He visited capital cities and in some cases went more than once.

According to Accounting reports and reports of payment to beneficiary by source and agency of the Ministry of Economy and Public Finance dated May 16, accessed by EL DEBER, per diem allowances abroad amounting to Bs 160,566, 37 and corresponding to more than $23,000 are recorded.

Mendoza is questioned for extending himself in power for 10 years and taking university courses since 1989. There are already four criminal lawsuits and he is accused of having committed more than six crimes.

The plaintiffs are demanding the return of more than one million Bolivianos to the State, which is the sum of the salaries received in four years. The CEUB suspended payments to Mendoza.

Per diems designated in 2018.

In 2018, the university leader traveled to four cities abroad. Without specifying the reasons and a few weeks after his appointment as a member of the CEUB, the preventive voucher No. 278 of June 11, details that Mendoza made a trip to Argentina and Bs 6,842 were allocated.

A month later, an expense of Bs 10,947.80 is recorded for a trip to Havana, Cuba.

On October 10 of that year, a trip for Bs 10,663.66 to the United States is shown. After 21 days, an allowance of Bs 13,684.75 for travel expenses to Mexico is also detailed.

Six trips in 2019 

During the 2019 administration, he made six trips. This time to Lima-Peru, Alicante-Spain, Caracas-Venezuela (twice), Miami-United States and Havana-Cuba.

The expenses for the six destinations amount to Bs 61,800.54 and in another part of the document there is an amount of Bs 753 for administrative procedures to acquire a visa before the Embassy of Spain.

The reasons for the trips would be for higher education meetings, a conference on financial administrative management, a congress of the Latin American and Caribbean Continental Organization of Students (OCLAE), a pedagogy congress and cooperation issues and scientific activities.

The pandemic did not stop him

Before the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Mendoza left the country from January 31 to February 7, 2020 to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for a university sports meeting in America. This trip cost Bs 7,146.60.

The following day, from February 8 to 17, he was in Havana, Cuba to attend the International Congress on Higher Education. Per diems amounted to Bs 12,622.80.

From November 11 to 18, he spent Bs 14,616 to go to Miami, United States to meet with Global Sten Cells Group.

Although he traveled abroad only three times, he made other trips to four cities in the country, visiting Santa Cruz (2), Cochabamba (4), Trinidad (5) and Tarija.

What happened in 2021?

When Luis Arce was one year into his term as president, the university leader traveled to New York, United States from October 17 to 24 to attend the Columbus Day parade. He was assigned Bs 12,993.

The economic report also records a trip to Guadalajara, Mexico. The State assigned him Bs 10,022.40 to attend a meeting convened by OCLAE.

According to the last record of a trip abroad, he also went again to Guadalajara, this time for the 91st anniversary of university autonomy. Per diems total Bs 13,828.20.

In 2022, only trips to Cochabamba, Sucre, Yacuiba and Oruro are shown. 

Teachers observe strike with blockades in some regions, government warns of discounts

 In some regions of the country, teachers are observing this Friday a 24-hour strike with blockades and road closures, demanding a greater number of items and more budget for education in the country. In response, the Government warned that discounts will be given to teachers who do not work.

In Santa Cruz there are blockades, particularly in the municipality of La Guardia, where the double road that connects with Camiri remains closed, according to the report of Tv Digital La Guardia.

Another road that was closed is the highway that connects Santa Cruz with Tarija, at the crossroads of Campo Pajoso. This measure is being followed by the Urban Teachers of Yacuiba, who demand attention to their demands such as a higher budget, reported La Voz de Yacuiba.

The general secretary of the Urban Teachers of Bolivia, Patricio Molina, said Friday that the pressure measures are complied with after the general assembly decided to reject the counterproposal of the Ministry of Education, which proposed a higher workload in exchange for items.

"We do not have a closed or biased position in asking for a total of 10,000 items, we ask for an effort from the Government, some more items and some more budget for those teachers who work with free hours or who are paid by parents," he said in contact with Unitel.

On the other hand, the Vice Minister of Regular Education, Bartolomé Puma, warned that the Government will apply discounts to teachers who follow the strike.

You can also read: Without progress, teachers reject the government's counteroffer and ratify the strike this Friday.

"Nowhere in the world are paid those who do not work, salary that is paid with resources of Bolivians. We call on the educators to attend their work sources this Friday and not to leave aside the restarting of school work in person, which has recently been applied throughout the country", demanded Puma.

The president of the Roboré Civic Committee, Rubén Darío Arias, stated that the sector joined the teachers' protest and that they had decided to close the route of the Bioceanic corridor. 

"We hope that the government can respond to the demands of the urban teachers regarding the historical deficit of items and improve the salaries of the teachers who are in charge of educating the citizens of the country", said the civic representative.

In Oruro and Potosí, roads were also reported closed. While at the Machacamarquita crossing, in the municipality of Huanuni, a road that connects Oruro with Potosí, a certain number of vehicles are already at a standstill, around 500 people belonging to the Urban Teachers' Union of Oruro are blocking several neighboring cities such as Llallagua. The carriers are looking for alternative routes.

The Government headquarters, on the other hand, concentrated a large group of demonstrators from different parts of the country. With different departmental banners, the protesters marched through the center of the city of La Paz.  

On-site classes return on March 14 in Santa Cruz

 The decision was made at a meeting between departmental and municipal authorities and the school community. Days before another meeting will be held to evaluate if the return is feasible.

On Wednesday, at a meeting between representatives of the Departmental Directorate of Education (DDE) of Santa Cruz, parents and municipal authorities, it was decided to return to classes on Monday 14 of next month, after an evaluation at a similar meeting scheduled for Thursday, March 10.

The announcement was made by Mayor Jhonny Fernandez and supported by the departmental director of Education Edwin Huayllani, after listening to the position of the entire student community and representatives of rural and urban teachers, who agreed to question the prioritization of the Carnival before the educational issue.

"There is a report from the doctors, we are (with cases of covid-19) in decline more and more, the issue of the carnival is an excuse that is being sought, if we did not open the carnival they were going to say that we are against the economy," Fernandez refuted to the questioning.

In addition, the municipal authority pledged to ensure the necessary supplies and biosecurity materials to protect the health of students and request coordination with the Departmental Health Service (Sedes) to strengthen vaccination with priority in educational units.

Currently, in several cities of the country, regional authorities have decided to return to on-site classes, since cases have decreased considerably. In the capital city of Santa Cruz, several educational units, especially private ones, are already having face-to-face and semi-presential classes.