University of Guayaquil
 University of Guayaquil  (University)    | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Formation | 1883 |
| Headquarters | Guayaquil, Ecuador |
| Type | Public university |
| Traditionally left-wing politically active students | |
The University of Guayaquil (Spanish: Universidad de Guayaquil), known colloquially as the Estatal (i.e., "the State [University]"), is a public university in Guayaquil, Guayas Province, Ecuador.
Estatal was founded in 1883. It is the oldest university in the city of Guayaquil and has the largest student body (over 80,000 students). With this figure, it ranks as the university with the largest number of students in the entire country . Officially, it has 3,700 permanent teachers, but there are also part-time teachers. It also has many administrative and service employees. The university is comprised of 18 faculties that teach 52 undergraduate degrees, in addition to five postgraduate career institutes.
It is also considered one of the universities which engaged most in national political life. In the past, one could witness demonstrations and marches by students, who even, on certain occasions, clashed fiercely with the police.
Internal conflicts
During the years of the Cold War, the university was divided between many political groups, mostly on the left, that disputed the control of the institution. Some of these groups were the Communist Marxist Leninist Party (PCMLE), nicknamed as the "Chinese"; the Communist Party (PCE), nicknamed the "big heads"; and the Student Liberation Front (FLE). In the midst of these conflicts, in 1966, the university began a reorganization where it dismissed a group of teachers.
The latter, the FLE, came to be classified as a paramilitary group, leading to Abel Salazar and Walter Vargas, leaders of this student organization, being expelled from the university in 1975. Later, they would be linked to the murder of Abdón Calderón Muñoz in 1978.
In 1969, a student protest took over the University House to demand free admission to the university, the events ending with the repression by the police and the recognition of free entry by several higher education institutions, one of the last ones being the University of Guayaquil.
Alumni on Wikispooks
| Person | Born | Died | Nationality | Summary | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaime Roldós Aguilera | 5 November 1940 | 24 May 1981 | Politician | A leader of Ecuador determined to try to better the living conditions of the population. Assassinated by the CIA. | |
| Carlos Julio Arosemana | 24 August 1919 | 5 March 2004 | Ecuador | Politician | Ecuadorian president toppled in CIA-supported coup |
