In Spanish-speaking South America, Students For Liberty’s EsLibertad region is doing incredible things. We have more than 200 students on the ground fighting for freedom now, and the future is looking good with nearly 800 applications for our Local Coordinator program this year so far.
That’s 120% of our goal! On average, we accept around one third of people who apply to our programs. This means we can expect more than 260 new coordinators ready to bring liberty to their campuses and communities. It is because of your support they have this opportunity.
Advocating for a freer future in Venezuela
You support students like Michelle Bernier, a young freedom fighter from Venezuela. She recently completed a law degree from Universidad Rafael Urdaneta (2020), and has spent the last two years promoting liberty and dedicating her time to the defense of human rights as an SFL Coordinator.
Her passion to transform her country into a place where the justice system works and individuals have the capacity to reach their potential led her to concentrate on the principles of rule of law and free markets.
She has participated in programs focused on law and leadership, such as the Young Entrepreneur Program with the US State Department in 2018; MUJERES Political Innovation Academy in 2019; and The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) Santiago Seminar in 2020.
Michelle is already making a difference. She established the civil association VALORO, which works with children and adolescents to improve their experience in the education system.
Now that she’s graduated, Michelle is working as a professional lawyer to advance human rights. She’s the legal assistant at Lex Solutions Group, an intern at the Law Department of the Human Rights Observatory in the Universidad de los Andes, and a collaborator at the Human Right defender in the Center of Justice and Peace in Venezuela.
Commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall
At the 2019 commemoration of the fall of the Berlin Wall, student leaders in Argentina hosted multiple events in 12 different cities, from tablings in parks to conferences at universities. They educated their peers on the fall of the Berlin Wall and received over 300 registrations.
These annual student-led events took place in Buenos Aires, Centenario, Cordoba, Concordia, Reconquista, Rio Grande, Rio Cuarto, Rosario, Tucuman, San Carlos, San Juan, and Mendoza. Hundreds went home in a single day with a new understanding of liberty.
At the end of 2019, Students For Liberty formally began working in Barinas (Venezuela), Hugo Chavez’s home state. As you might expect, it is also home to some of the worst conditions in the country and young people do not have access to the opportunities they do in Caracas or other central-coastal cities.
Student Leader Brayan Corredor is in charge of building EsLibertad’s network in Barinas while studying architecture.
He visited the biggest campus in the state to talk about the foundations of a free society and invited students to future events. Students, professors, and even janitors wrote their wishes for liberty on our “free expression wall.” Messages included “studying is the greatest act of rebellion” and “freedom is not only physical, but it is also of the soul and of thought”.
You enable students like Michelle and Brayan to build skills and gain experience to pursue their passion for liberty, bringing the ideas of a free society to countries hungry for change.
To continue to support students like Michelle and Brayan, consider making an investment in liberty today.
