What happens when a government begins to see its universities not as places of learning, but as threats? Mayda Hocevar watched that transformation happen in Venezuela. She began her career as a professor of law and legal philosophy at the University of Los Andes, never imagining that one day she would find herself fighting to defend the institution that had shaped her life. But as Venezuela’s democracy slowly eroded, universities became targets. Funding disappeared. Autonomy was undermined. Students and professors were attacked. Independent thought itself became dangerous. In this conversation, Mayda takes us inside what that looked like as it was happening, including the warning signs that were easy to dismiss, the changes that gradually became normalized, and the moment she realized she could no longer simply remain a professor and look away. We also explore the larger questions her experience raises far beyond Venezuela. Why do authoritarian governments so often target universities? What happens to a society when political power begins determining what can be taught and what constitutes acceptable knowledge? And what responsibility do citizens have when democratic institutions they assumed were permanent begin to change? Mayda also reflects on growing government pressure on higher education in the United States, the January U.S. military operation that forcibly removed Nicolás Maduro, the limits and failures of international diplomacy, and the complicated road toward justice and democratic transition in Venezuela. This is not a story about a democracy disappearing overnight. It is a story about what happens slowly, incrementally, and sometimes almost imperceptibly, until the institutions people assumed would always be there no longer are. And what it requires of us to refuse to look away. In This Episode How a lifelong academic became a human rights defender What happened inside Venezuelan universities as political repression intensified Why authoritarian governments see independent universities as a threat What happens when governments begin controlling knowledge, education, and academic freedom How Venezuela’s democracy eroded slowly enough that many people struggled to recognize what was happening Why attacks on universities can signal something much larger about the health of a democracy What Mayda sees when she looks at growing government pressure on higher education in the United States The legal and moral questions surrounding the U.S. operation that removed Nicolás Maduro Why protecting democracy ultimately requires individual responsibility, courage, and a refusal to remain silent Key Moments 01:26 — Before the Human Rights Defender 06:42 — When Being a Professor Was No Longer Enough 11:43 — Documenting the Attacks 16:37 — Why Authoritarian Governments Target Universities 20:50 — How a Democracy Slowly Erodes 26:30 — When Governments Pressure Higher Education 28:46 — Maduro, U.S. Intervention, and International Law 31:46 — The Failure of International Diplomacy 40:47 — Refusing to Look Away About Mayda Hocevar Mayda Hocevar is a Venezuelan lawyer, professor, researcher, and human rights defender whose work focuses on academic freedom, university autonomy, human rights, and democratic institutions. She is a professor at the University of Los Andes in Mérida, Venezuela, and founder and director of its Human Rights Observatory. The Observatory was established amid the violent repression of student protests in 2014 and has documented human rights violations and attacks affecting universities, students, faculty, and academic freedom. Her work has included advocacy before international and regional human rights mechanisms, human rights education, and extensive efforts to document and preserve the experiences of Venezuelan universities under authoritarian rule. Following Venezuela’s 2024 elections, increasing risks forced Mayda to leave the country. She subsequently joined the University of York’s Centre for Applied Human Rights through its Protective Fellowship Scheme, where her work has included preserving the memory of repression within Venezuelan universities and examining their role as spaces of resistance and human rights defense. Guest Links & Resources University of York — Mayda Hocevar, Centre for Applied Human Rights https://www.york.ac.uk/cahr/human-rights-defenders/past/mayda/ Scholars at Risk — Spotlight on Mayda Hocevar https://www.scholarsatrisk.org/spotlight/sar-spotlight-on-mayda-hocevar/ University of York — The Crisis in Venezuela and the Failure of International Diplomacy https://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/events/public-lectures/sem2-25-26/crisis-venezuela/ Continue the Conversation The thinking continues beyond the mic. Explore essays, reflections, and extended conversations on Substack: https://substack.com/@robbinjorgensen Connect with Robbin Jorgensen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbinjorgensen/ Supporting Sponsor As a woman navigating financial decisions — especially when the system wasn’t built with you in mind — having the right partner matters. For three decades, Godfrey Financial has intentionally centered women in financial decision-making — not as an afterthought, but as leaders. 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