La Mano Dura

Bolivian government typically alternates between liberal democracies that implode due to corruption, disenfranchisement of the masses, and ultra-weak and untrusted institutions and the repressive military dictatorships that seize power to tidy everything up.
I began my classes at La UPSA under the former model: I am going to give each student freedom to pursue stories that interest them out in the city. Unlike my predecessors, I am going to eschew theory and compositional dogma and embrace unconventional storytelling to help loosen up writing muscles by embracing experimentation and interactive class discussions. I will use what little pull I have here to bring weekly guests to the class who can discuss first hand the problems that Bolivia faces.
The result: Mass student no-shows on the days I invite guests, no homework assignments handed in, whining about how the city is too dangerous to report on, and silence during attempts at classroom debate.
Well, the new regime is here. And the purge is on.
During an exam yesterday, one that I had to postpone because of a general strike closed the university the day it had been planned, I caught several students talking. They expressed shock, I mean real shock, when I told them to shut up and threatened to fail them. I also failed students who didn't turn in assignments on deadline.
Sound basic?
I think I may be the first teacher they've had who actually made them follow rules. And La UPSA is widely regarded as one of Bolivia's best universities. Yikes.