The university students mobilization in Colombia in 2011. A retrospective of a rebellious symptom: 2011-1971

Abstract

Colombian history shows a cyclical movement in terms of student mobilization. This article relates the events of 1971 and 2011 as particular historic situations to analyze a common problem: The university student movement demanding autonomy, academic quality, academic freedom, equality and social justice. The switch in the forms of protest from demonstrations to the cyberspace odyssey, with claims through social networks, shows that although the requests are the same, they adapt to technological changes with the students’ creativity allowing a stronger connection to finally form Mesa Nacional Estudiantil (MANE). While MANE is a process still under construction, it is important to note that although the way of protesting of the student movement has changed, the main characters and problems remain the same as those in the seventies.