The Central University of Venezuela, which celebrates its 301st anniversary today, can only be described as "glorious." Throughout its long history, which began in 1721 and was formally established in 1725, it has experienced various stages, including several closures. A notable example is the military action of October 31, 1969, dubbed "Operation Kangaroo," ordered by then-President Rafael Caldera, a 1939 graduate of the university with a law degree. The raid on the university led to its closure and the suspension of activities until early 1971. This action against the UCV resulted in the dismissal of Rector Jesús María Bianco and other authorities who had served for several years. Furthermore, we emphasize that together with the students of the Pedagogical Institute of Caracas, the UCAB and several high schools in the capital, the UCV played an important role in the overthrow of the dictatorship of Marcos Pérez Jiménez, in the first 23 days of 1958.
Formally, the UCV was created in 1725, and was named the Royal and Pontifical University of Caracas, and its first rector was the Doctor of Theology from the University of Santo Domingo, Francisco Martínez de Porras, who had been appointed by Philip V in 1721. The Seminary of Santa Rosa was founded by Bishop Antonio González de Acuña and later inaugurated in 1696 by Diego de Baños y Sotomayor, which would be the basis of that university of Caracas which, in fact, is the original foundation of the UCV.
Within this historical context, we must begin by noting that the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) initially had a curriculum of nine professorships: two in Latin, one in philosophy, three in theology, one in canon law, one in civil law, and one in music. In 1673, the Chair of Medicine was established, founded by Dr. Lorenzo Campins y Ballester. It is possible that Luis Herrera Campins is a descendant of this professor from the early days of the UCV. One hundred and two years would pass before, in 1827, the Liberator Simón Bolívar appointed Dr. José María Vargas as the university's head, and it was then that the glorious UCV opened its doors to the general student body. Between 1725 and 1810, the old University of Caracas awarded 2.270 degrees in philosophy, theology, law, canon law, and medicine. “The Enlightenment reached the University of Caracas in its fullest expression. There, the ideology of independence took root, and today, the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) is on par with the world's leading institutions of higher learning in all fields.” The current rector of the UCV is Dr. Víctor Rago Albujas, an anthropologist, elected for the 2023–2027 term.
