The Victims Unit will carry out a work agenda with the rectors of the universities based in the region, to ensure that the victims exercise their right to access education.

The Caquetá-Huila Territorial Victims Unit, headed by Yhina Paola Lombana López, met with rectors of the universities and institutes of higher education that operate in this department, in order to invite them to join for the benefit of the victims of armed conflict and ensure their access to education.

The territorial director announced that this proposal took place within the framework of the Departmental Board of Higher Education that is developed periodically, to analyze the situation of young people and their real opportunities of access and permanence in educational establishments.

"Our idea is that young people, victims of conflict, really see the restoration of their rights, through the guarantee of their access to higher education to successfully develop their life project, for this we are going to start an agenda of work with each of the rectors of the local universities and institutes”, indicated the official.

Lombana added that the priority in these meetings with the local rectors is to determine how many places are going to be guaranteed to the population victim of conflict and what are the discounts that they will actually have in their admission process and other requirements. The foregoing within the framework of the alliance between the Ministry of Education, Icetex and the Victims Unit.

The director recalled that, for the young people of Caquetá, affected by the conflict, the Icetex credit, forgivable in 100%, covers the value of tuition up to 11 legal minimum wages in force for each semester.

Additionally, the Government has established that these young people have support resources of five legal minimum wages in force per semester, and a permanent resource of up to a legal minimum wage in force per semester in higher education institutions that develop differential and preferential programs with a focus of integral reparation and that they present to the Ministry of Education semiannual reports of permanence, in which also the academic average per student equal to or greater than 3.5 is recorded.

(End/ILR/CMC/LMY)