Students and university unions marched in Venezuela to protest about the universities budget cuts Chávez applied. Opposition and professional groups joined them.

Thousands of teachers, students, local unions and journalists went from the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) to the La Hoyada Park where they gave a list of petitions to the Superior Education Ministry.

Ricardo Sanchez, the president of the Students Center Federation of UCV, said the cuts are 6 percent of the universities budget, equivalent to 28 million dollars, and it will take universities to "the gates of a technical closure".