President of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado, gave a press conference this Thursday afternoon after a long meeting with deans from the different Universities and where other members of the Government were also present.

The President referred to the actions of the public police force that took place Wednesday evening and after which university students and the dean of the University of Costa Rica reported unnecessary police violence and the violation of the university’s “autonomy”. Read more here.

Alvarado read the agreement reached between the parties which states that a Commission will be created including a representative of the University of Costa Rica, the President of the Student Federation of the University of Costa Rica, and the Minister of Justice “to carry out an investigation, analysis and recommendations, regarding the actions that took place the evening of September 12 in San Pedro de Montes de Oca and in the campus of the University of Costa Rica”.

The statement also mentions that the Government guarantees and respects the autonomy of universities, in the frame of the Constitution and Costa Rican tradition.

Article 84 of the Constitution states “The University of Costa Rica is an institution of higher culture that has independence in the development of its functions and complete judiciary capacity to acquire rights and take on obligations, as well as to have its own organization and government. All the other higher education public institutions will have the same operational independence and the same judiciary capacity than the University of Costa Rica. The State will provide them with their own assets and contribute with their financing”.

According to Fabián Volio, attorney, who specializes in constitutional law, who gave his point of view this morning in radio show Nuestra Voz, the “autonomy” or independence of universities refer’s to is the independent control these entities exercise over their day to day operations, academic matters and curriculum. However, according to Volio, the police has the right and the duty to enter the campus when necessary, and do not need permission to do so, when their duties require it, coordinating with University authorities when possible, but without need to do so in the case of “in flagrante delicto”.

During the press conference the President also called on maintaining peace and social dialogue.