The head of a student union “would have illegally benefited” from a monthly salary close to that of the president of Bolivia, that is to say approximately 3000 dollars.
The head of a Bolivian student union, known for spending 33 years studying in various fields without ever graduating, was arrested on Saturday for improperly receiving a salary from the university union. “By decision of the public prosecutor, the former university leader Max Mendoza, was arrested“, announced the Minister of the Interior, Eduardo del Castillo.
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President of the Bolivian University Confederation (CUB), Max Mendoza, 52, “illegally benefitedwith a monthly salary of 21,870 bolivianos (about $3,150), according to La Paz prosecutor William Alave. This salary is similar to that of a university president and close to that of the president of Bolivia, who earns around $3,500 a month.
Mendoza, who has taken several courses since 1989, failed more than 200 subjects and scored zero in more than a hundred subjects. He called the charges on Thursday “calumnies“. “We have not received a penny that is not in a correct and legal manner“, did he declare.
According to local media, many student leaders stretch out their studies to keep their jobs and the benefits that come with them. Friday, about fifty university students without incident occupied the offices of the union chaired by Max Mendoza to demand his resignation.