After months of lobbying by Cultural Survival and our Indigenous Community Radio partners, the proposed telecommunications bill has received a favorable recommendation from the Indigenous Peoples Committee of the Guatemalan Congress. An official ceremony took place January 14th at the Salon del Pueblo of the Congreso de la Republica where Congressman Rodolfo Castenon, the president of the Pueblos Indigenas Committee, delivered the signed initiative to the legislative directorate.

On August 3, over a thousand rural people rallied in Guatemala City in support of a bill that was introduced to the Guatemalan Congress to legalize community radio. The bill, which was the product of months of work by Cultural Survival staff and radio station volunteers, has now been assigned to two committees (Communications, Transportation and Public Works Committee and Indigenous Peoples Committee) for review. Tino Recinos, our lead lobbyist, met with presidents of both committees last week. Forty-five radio volunteers are aggressively working to push the bill though.