If over five decades ago peace, justice, rights for all, public and quality education were urgent for the student movement, those same demands vindicate the importance of the organization today.

In statements to Prensa Latina its president, Leonel Perez, affirmed that OCLAE will continue to carry forward those principles and is aware of the work of youngsters in the continent.

‘We are living very effervescent times in nations such as Chile, Colombia, Brazil and students have played a key role in this,’ he noted.

The OCLAE leader added that for its members means ‘a challenge’ that the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, is the organization’s founder, during the 4th Latin American and Caribbean Students Congress in Havana, in 1966.

Referring to the activities to commemorate such date, Perez pointed out that although they will be online, they will serve to ‘continue fostering the unity of the student movement, with a view to a 19th Latin American Students Congress, which we hope to hold in 2022.’

OCLAE has 36 member organizations from some twenty countries and over 100 million youngsters, involving not only university students, but also the secondary and postgraduate movement in the region.

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