Venezuelans studying in America should return home to help their ailing country, three prominent leaders from the South American nation told a Kennedy School audience last night.

Eduardo Fernandez, general secretary of Venezuela's Christian Democratic Party (COPEI), referred to President John F. Kennedy's call for Americans to work for social, political and economic reforms.

"We are looking at a new generation of Venezuelans hoping to work for the future of our country," said Fernandez, who ran for the Venezuelan presidency in 1988 and plans to run again in 1993.

The forum addressed a wide range of issues facing Venezuela, which has been a democracy for more than 30 years.

Although Venezuela is one of the world's leading oil producers, it has been in virtual economic freefall for the past decade, said Dr. Pablo Pulido, president of the Metropolitan University Foundation in Venezuela. While 37 percent of Venezuelans lived in poverty in 1981, 80 percent are now officially considered poor, he said.

"Poverty is unacceptable in a country like Venezuela that has so much economic potential," said Fernandez. "We should distribute that [oil] wealth in a better way."

Pulido also addressed the nation's health care system, attributing recent crises to an unexpected population shift towards urban centers.

"We planned our health care system for a rural population," he said.

Thais de Aguerrevere, a professor at the Catholic University of Andres Bullo in Venezuela, recounted the plight of university students frustrated by high enrollment and their own lack of proper educational backgrounds.

"Many of these young people go to universities with great illusions, and many fail," she said.

Venezuelan students attending last night's forum said they were guardedly optimistic about their country's future.

"The credibility of the government is very low," said Jesus E. Perez, a student at Northeastern University. "But Dr. Fernandez is a hope for us Venezuelans. He's a middle class person in our country.