Director of Overseas Study issues statement regarding current situation in Spain

The Office of Overseas study is actively engaged in ensuring that all IU students in Spain are safe, given the recent tragic bombings that took place in Madrid this morning. The safety of IU students is of the utmost importance to us.

We have ascertained that all students on the Wisconsin-Indiana-Purdue program in Madrid, the IES program in Madrid and the CIEE programs in Seville are safe. We are proceeding to check with other program providers to confirm the status of other IU students in Spain. Indiana University currently has 98 students in Spain this spring across a number of programs [Alicante (3), Barcelona (23), Granada (2), Madrid (16), Salamanca (1), Seville (49), Valencia (4)].

Spanish officials are blaming terrorists from the Basque separatist group ETA for the attack. ETA has actively engaged in terrorism for over thirty years during which time over 800 people have been killed. However, ETA previously targeted political leaders, police or military personnel. It is highly unusual for them to attack civilians. ETA does not have the support of the vast majority of Spaniards, including the Basques themselves who have protested against ETA for many years.

We will be monitoring the situation in Spain very closely with our staff as well as other program providers in Spain. Students will be warned to avoid crowded places (i.e. large department stores, train stations, etc.) until after the elections take place on Sunday, March 14.

Coincidently, I will be arriving in Madrid on Sunday on a previously scheduled program visit. I will have an opportunity to meet with students in Madrid, and to talk with them.

Any additional information that is received will be posted here on our Web site.

Kathleen Sideli
Associate Dean, International Programs
Director, Office of Overseas Study
Indiana University
Franklin Hall 303
Bloomington, IN 47405-1223 Ph: 812-855-1139
Fax: 812-855-6452
sideli@indiana.edu