This is a Special News Broadcast from Cojedes 24. We go live to our host Isabel Maria Costa.
Costa: Good evening and thank you for joining us at Cojedes 24. I'm Isabel Maria Costa. Tonight is a special report on the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella (Torcuato Di Tella University) in Rosario. Tonight, we will take a look into the history and the magic that has made this university so dear to the hearts of many, and we will discuss a very special and significant anniversary for this grand university that helped reform our great nation. We hope you will take a tour with us down memory lane as we honor this great center for higher learning.
From the outside, the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella may not look like much, but it is the people that makes this place so amazing. This grand institute of learning has seen amazing days as well as some very dim days. The University, founded back in 1854, was originally know as the Military Institute of Eastern Cojedes. Until the mid-1960's, the university remained a military institute until it became a non-profit private university. The University has seen many historical events throughout it history and we are joined by University Dean Rolando Fernandino who is going to tell us more.
Costa: We are pleased to welcome Rolando Fernandino, the Dean of Unidersidad Torcuato Di Tella. Thank you so much Mr. Fernandino for joining us tonight.
Fernandino: Thank you for having me. It is an honor to be here.
Costa: We were hoping you could give us a history of this great institute. We know the background was that it was a military institute and it had several important historical events, but we hope you can elaborate on this.
Fernandino: Of course. I would love to. The University was originally found in 1854 as the Military Institute of Eastern Cojedes, and was sometimes known as "The Institute". It was the largest of all the military institutes in the country, save for the Naval Institute of Heravion. The first graduating class from the institute was the Class of 1858 and several notable people who graduated from this class included General Tomas Frexia, as well as two future Presidents: Juan Esteban Correa and Ezequiel Velazquez. The institute continued to expand gradually and one of its largest classes before the 1900's actually graduated in 1894, having nearly 1,250 graduates that year. The next major event that occurred was during the Second Cojedan Civil War. During this time, the Cojedan Army had abandoned the government of Gerardo Andino after he issued some corrupt policies. The government, believing they could count on the support of the Institute, sent soldiers that has remained loyal to the government to take it over. The cadets in the Institute responded by setting up barricades and digging trenches so that the soldiers would not be able to cross into the institute. For nearly two months, the cadets fought hard against the Loyalist of Gerardo Andino and would eventually win the battle after setting a trap that allowed them to encircle the troops and cause them to surrender. In total, 378 cadets died in the battle to defend the institute while it is estimated that nearly 4,000 loyalist died in the battle.
Costa: That is very interesting Mr. Fernandino and we thank them for their amazing heroism in defending the institute. We know that it was under your guidance that a memorial stone to the 378 cadets was ordered and that the names of all 378 cadets is on there and we thank you for wishing to honor their heroism. What was the role of the military institute during the Fascist War?
Fernandino: The Fascist War was actually the major proving point for the institute. As the Andrennians were surrounding Rosario and were poised to take it over, the entire city was mobilized and turned into a defensive city with the sole purpose of ensuring the "Great City of Peace" was not captured. This involved the mobilization of the nearly 5,000 cadets who were studying at the institute at the time. General Sebastian Arnal was the Military Dean at the time and issued orders to all students that they were to partake in the defense of the city. When the Andrennians came knocking on the doors of the city, the city was prepared and, throughout the entire war, never fell into enemy hands. The cadets defended every inch of the city to the best of their ability and several later went on to becoming major military figures, including future Commander Iker Abasto and Brigadier General Alexis Murillo. Of the cadets that served in the defense of the city, nearly 1,425 died as a result of the fighting or from injuries sustained during fighting. Of those who died, all of them were posthumously elevated to military positions and received full military honors after the end of the war.
Costa: Such amazing history and courage that these cadets had in the defense of our great nation and our amazing city. We would like to hear just a little more in the lead up to the significant anniversary that we will be discussing with several other important figures from the university.
Fernandino: Why of course. Following the end of the Fascist War, the Institute began to pick up the pieces and clean up the rubble from the damage that had been done to the entire campus. The Department of Defense then began to consider if there was a need for the institute to continue in the way it had, or, if the institute could transition into a university that would welcome all students. The decision lay dormant for quite some time until, under the leadership of President Xavier Xirau, the decision was made to transfer the Institute into the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella. Originally, the University only consisted of the School of Business and the School of Law, but, during the 70's and 80's, the addition of the Schools of Economics, Political Science, International Studies, History, Architecture, Design, and Education were added. So, that is the majority of the history of the University.
Costa: Thank you so much for joining us Mr. Fernandino and for sharing the history that this great university has had over the years. It has been an honor to have you here.
Fernandino: It has been my pleasure thank you for having me.
The Universidad Torcuato Di Tella has had some major historical events leading up the 70's and 80's, but it was actually in the 90's where the true major events would begin to take place and shape this great university. In 1990, the Socialist Council took over the country after assassinating President Antonio Suarez and the students of the University began to feel the brunt of socialist influence in Cojedes after the funding to the school was severely reduced to make way for an increase in the military. The students of the university eventually had enough and, under the leadership of Mendina Valdez and Javier Santángel, organized a student revolution. At first, the revolution consisted of only 50 students and was not considered a major threat to the Socialist Government. However, what started off small, quickly turned into a revolution of nearly 4,500 students united in the effort to put an end to Socialist rule. Soldiers of the Cojedan Army were sent to disperse the students and, after a fight of nearly 40 days, took roughly half the student into custody and the revolution was quelled. Little did they know, that this would only fan the flames that was yet to come.
Costa: Tonight, we are joined by Mendina Valdez and Javier Santángel, the original organizers of the student revolution. We are so thankful to have the two of you here tonight.
Valdez: Thank you so much for having me.
Santángel: It is an honor to be here.
Costa: There was obviously a lot of passion that occurred on the grounds of the campus as the students took to the streets openly to protest the Socialist Government. What were your feelings when you started this movement?
Santángel: I think, for me at least and probably for many, it was wanting to belong to a movement that meant more than myself. The Socialist Council had caused so much trouble in our country at the time, especially after the assassination of President Suarez. A primary catalyst for our protests was the fact that we continued to lose funding and several students were actually having to come together and purchase the equipment used in several of the classes.
Valdez: I agree with Santángel that it was part of being a movement, but for me, and I'm sure it's the same for him, that we had seen a massive increase in disappearances among students and faculty across campus. I remember at the beginning of my second semester of college in 1989 that we had roughly 400 professors and other faculty throughout the entire campus, and probably had roughly 7,000 students at that point. Only a year later, we were down to maybe 200 faculty and 5,500 students with no explanation as to where any of the others had possibly gone. When i was in my second semester, we favorite professor was Melina Reyes. She was one of three professors of Criminal Law. I always looked forward to going to her class and I would attend several meetings with her and other students outside of the regular class schedule. So when I noticed that her name was not among the list of professors in the Spring of 1990, I knew that something was wrong. We later found out in early 2002 that Professor Reyes was murdered by the Socialist Council because she preached against their methods of torture and had fought several judicial cases against them.
Costa: What was it like being there on the first day, 30 years ago today, and leading fellow students in protest?
Valdez: I have to say I was very nervous. I remember probably throwing up four times before actually getting to the protest because I was so nervous about it. I didn't know if they were going to come that day and kill us or if they were going to overlook us and let us go on doing our own thing.
Santángel: I would definitely say I was nervous, but I would also say that I was excited because it felt like we were actually out there attempting to make a difference, regardless of how small we were at the time.
Costa: How did you spread the word about the protest and how did you actually get more people to join in?
Santángel: I was actually the one in charge of spreading information regarding protest times and trying to recruit more people to join in during the movement. We normally would just go door to door and discuss our background with the different students on the campus and we were quickly able to appeal to several of the students. By the final days of the student movement, roughly 4,500 had joined in on our cause and were fighting for the right to be able to attend the college, as well as for the freedoms we now enjoy today. We were fighting against Socialism, which was the destroyer of the Cojedan Nation.
Costa: In the final days of the protest, after the soldiers had been sent to disperse the crowds, what was it like when the two of you were arrested.
Valdez: It was definitely a major sense of fear that came over me once I was arrested but I was definitely not going to allow them to see that I was scared. They drove me out to a rural area in Rosario Province and tortured me for several days. They tried to get me to renounce the student revolution and to join their cause. I told them I would rather die than join them. They had planned to kill me, but "President" Bruno Gusman refused to allow that to happen because he believed that if he killed me or Javier, that they would have a war on their hands immediately and would be thrown out of power.
Santángel: It was definitely shocking when they arrested us because we had expected they would kill us right on the spot. They had already beaten at least 50 students there on campus and had taken several hundreds of others to prison, so we were expecting the bullet at any moment. They took me to Corrientes and threatened to kill me several times, but, like Mendina said, they realized it would be a futile act that would lead to greater issues ahead.
Costa: Not long after the student revolution at the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella was dismantled, schools across the country erupted in protest and the two of you were freed. The two of you continued to fight for freedoms using pseudonyms to protect your identity so that they would not be able to find you. Soon, you were contacted by the Cojedan Rebel Army who would soon launch an uprising against the Socialist. What was that like being at campus and launching a war against the Socialist Government?
Santángel: It was probably hardest time of my life, definitely the most scared I have ever been. Before, we were only launching peaceful protests, but now, we are in the middle of a full blown war and ended up becoming leaders in the revolution. The Socialist Council sent the Army to arrest us, but they were greeted by students throughout the campus bearing arms the entire way. After realizing that they were outnumbered, the army retreated from the campus and never came back until the battle that took place at campus in January of '93.
Valdez: It was definitely exciting being at the forefront of this fight and being able to continue to make our voices known. Of course, only this time, weapons were actually involved. I recall greatly the battle for the campus in '93. Nearly all the students were supplied weapons by the rebels and some were even taken from the former Armory on the school campus, as well as the Government Armory that sat five miles away. It was a glorious fight. It was a very sad result for us, as several of our great friends died in the fighting and several more were taken away to be tortured and never heard from again.
Costa: Mr. Santángel, according to most reports, you were actually the one who perpetrated the protests and were the main leader of the protest. What was it like for you knowing that, not only had you led a student revolution, but also would be a leader of the Rebels during the Socialist Civil War?
Santángel: It was hardly something I ever thought about. We always thought we were united in this movement and that we would always just be equals through thick and thin. We didn't have a chain of command during the student revolution, but we quickly assembled one during the early stages of the Civil War. If I had to go back and do it all again, I would without a doubt. I would never change a thing that occurred and I know many feel the same.
Costa: Thank you so much both of you for being here tonight. Your sacrifice back then was simply amazing and we are grateful for all you have done for this nation and its people.
Valdez and Santángel: Thank you for having us!
The Student Revolution would be a pre-cursor to the Socialist Civil War, sometimes known as the Third Civil War. The war, which lasted from 1992-2000, greatly affected the landscape of the campus and how it operated. Following the end of the war, the university continued to become a major part of society and continues to be a school that is always welcoming to the newest and brightest of Cojedan students.
Costa: We have looked into this one of the greatest institutions of higher learning throughout the entire country. The Universidad Torcuato Di Tella has had an amazing history throughout its nearly 170 year history. From the early military institute, to fighting in the defense of Rosario, to being the true site of the beginning of the Socialist Civil War, the University has many exciting pieces about it and will continue to for years to come. Today, the university is home to roughly 30,000 students, only surpassed in its region by the University of Rosario. We are mightily grateful for all that the people of this great university have done for us throughout the years. As well, we thank you all tonight for joining us here at Cojedes 24 as we profile the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella on the 30th Anniversary of the Beginning of the Student Revolution. Have a good night!
