The stagnation became evident after the resignation of the government’s representative, agronomist Antonio Vadell, because of what he considered was a lack of commitment from the Presidency in the project that aims to train young students from peasant organizations of Latin America.

ELAMVET is a project that comes after other training processes of peasants, rural women, young people and family farmers organized in La Via Campesina.

The University of the Republic supported the project as part of its commitment to “further the Latin American model of University”, in the words of the University’s President Rodrigo Arocena.

However, there were no real government efforts to materialize the project in 2011 so much so that the government representative in charge of promoting the project decided to step down. The project as proposed in 2012 seems to be severely questioned.

Real World Radio reported on December 19 that the students’ union made a public call about the “Prospects for the construction of a Latin American Veterinary School”.

Student representatives, the University President, the Dean of the School of Veterinary, members of the Rural Landless Peasant Movement (MST) of Brazil participated in the call as well as the former Minister of Livestock and Agriculture, Antonio Vadell.

What seemed to be moving towards the project’s realization was stalled and the reason was what Vadell described as excess of will and improvisation of the Uruguayan government, which had publicly committed to promote the School.

Vadell told Brecha weekly newspaper that he considers himself as the “promoter of the initiative” and that when he realized about the government’s lack of commitment he decided to resign. “A project like this one cannot be taken forward only based on voluntarism. Will is important, but it is not enough”.

Photo: jhondianadanilo.blogspot.com