Bryan Melgar, representative of FRENABEP (National Front of Scholarship Recipients of Peru), made a serious accusation yesterday, stating that the Vice Minister of Institutional Management of the Ministry of Education (MINEDU) canceled the in-person meeting that students had scheduled with this public entity and PRONABEC (National Scholarship Program). The reason: Authorities refused to engage in dialogue due to the likely presence of a protest in support of the students’ demands.
“Do they want to cancel our right to demonstrate? This decision violates our constitutional right to peaceful protest and to dialogue with the authorities,” the students stated indignantly, seeing their universal rights to education and to protest curtailed.
FRENABEP had requested a meeting with officials from the Ministry of Education regarding the allocation of 38,000 scholarships, which would be distributed this year, allowing students from low-income families access to private and/or public universities and institutes.
The students’ request stems from the drastic reduction of the Beca 18 program, which in the 2026 budget reduced a projected 20,000 new scholarships to only 2,000, with an allocation of 50 million soles, compared to the 793 million soles requested by PRONABEC.
Peaceful, legitimate, and constitutional protest
Following the cancellation of the meeting with the Ministry of Education (MINEDU), the students called for a peaceful, legitimate, and constitutional sit-in, stating in flyers that immediately circulated on social media, “Being heard is not a violation, it’s a right.”
The sit-in will take place today, Tuesday the 3rd, at 10:00 a.m. at the Ministry of Education headquarters in the San Borja district of Lima.
They also announced that if their demands are not met, they will launch a national campaign of protests regarding scholarships, joining forces with allied student groups.
Citizen Historical Agreement (AHC) Supports FRENABEP
The cancellation of the meeting between the Ministry of Education (MINEDU) and FRENABEP was received by the president of the student organization, Bryan Melgar, who was meeting with the co-promoting team of the Citizen Historical Agreement (AHC) at the Lima Bar Association (CAL). The AHC is a forum of organized civil society dedicated to defending the rule of law, and in this case, the right to education and public demonstration.
“The participating organizations express their solidarity with FRENABEP and will participate in the activities coordinated by this student front at the 3rd Forum that the AHC is organizing for next Monday, February 16, at 5:00 p.m. in the CAL auditorium.”
Monday, February 2nd, the AHC met to finalize the invitation of various grassroots social organizations to attend the 3rd AHC Forum. Among those present were the Young Leaders of Peru collective, the National Front of Scholarship Recipients, former scholarship recipients and applicants from Peru; the FEU bloc from the La Molina Agrarian University, the National Confederation of Mototaxi Drivers of Peru, the Callao Dignity Front, the Citizens’ Coalition for Life, representatives of the families and victims of the 2022-2023 repression; and others.
The 3rd Forum seeks a commitment from presidential candidates, members of Congress, and senators to fulfill six political conditions demanded by the public: life imprisonment for corrupt officials, repeal of pro-crime laws, registration and reparations for the families of victims of the 2022-2023 protests, educational reform focused on industrialization, repeal of the constitutional reforms, and public works projects free of corruption.