Guatemala Radio Personal Stories

Read what listeners have to say;

Testimonials from Sumpango: Community radio is about our needs, our lives.

“The radio helps the firemen get messages out immediately in the case of accidents and disappeared people. As soon as the firemen bring the message, it’s broadcasted and informs people in their homes. In this way we have been able to find missing children quickly, and to warn people of anything that is taking place in the community. I really appreciate the programs that discuss aspects of the local culture and play traditional music. These are things that can’t be heard anywhere else. This programming works to counteract the marginalization of Kakchiquel lifestyles. It is hard to pass the language on to the children when they are made fun of for speaking in Kakchiquel”
Domingo Soyoi, fireman, Sumpango

“I love the educational programs, the ones that talk about indigenous languages and Mayan spirituality. It [also] provides encouragement to listeners to continue their education. The local notices provided by the firemen about what is happening in the community are also very helpful. If someone in the community has a special need, their need is communicated via the radio and the community comes together to help them.”
Emiliana Farfan, listener, Sumpango

“The radio is there for anyone who needs to get a message out. It also does much to promote the culture of the local people. Radio Ixchel is the station that almost everyone prefers, the one we all listen to. It’s where we get our information and feel connected. The messages are in both Spanish and Kakchiquel, so that everyone can understand. It isn’t just about the latest singers like the commercial stations - it’s available to anyone, and collaborates with everyone.”
Jose Quisquinai, listener and Kakchiquel speaker, Sumpango

“Our parents taught us that the man is dominant at home, but working at the radio doing a program on human rights, I learned that everyone is equal. People would call to thank me for saying this. It’s something that we don’t hear or learn elsewhere, but it’s true. Men and women both have the same rights. The lack of gender equality is an important issue here and the radio is helping to change people’s attitudes. It changed my family. Volunteering at the radio helped me learn so much. I learned so many new things through trainings. I really changed in every way.”
Jorge Luis Subuyaj, station volunteer, Sumpango

Testimonials from San Pedro:

“The station informs people about what to do and then they take action. The information pertains to the environment, to farming work, political issues and to the domain of the household. Women listen at home and learn how to manage their finances, how to save money for the family. Many people don’t know about saving, but people can’t be spending more than they earn and they have to learn this. The radio addresses all of these issues to teach people how to improve their lives.”
Juan Javier, program host for “La Vida del Campesino,” San Pedro

On his show, “La Vida del Campesino,” volunteer Juan Javier “informs people about what to do. Then they take action. The information is about the environment, farming, political issues, and managing money. Many people don’t know about saving money, and they need to learn.”

GRP anecdotes

A Visit from the Kaibiles:
Consejo President Tino Recinos joined the guerrilla army in Guatemala as a young man, and rose to the rank of Subcomandante. One of his responsibilities was operating the clandestine radio station La Voz Popular (Voice of the People), which broadcast the opposition point of view. To evade capture by the Kaibiles (the Guatemalan Special Forces), La Voz was always on the move. Guerillas carried the equipment from place to place through the forests of Volcán Tajamulco, the highest mountain in Central America. The Kaibiles searched for years, but never found them, and La Voz continued broadcasting until the Peace Accords were signed.

After the hostilities ended, Recinos closed La Voz, and opened a community radio station called Doble Via in a poor neighborhood of the town of Xela. He exchanged political propaganda for standard community radio fare of music, news, public service announcements and local programming. As Recinos was working alone one afternoon, someone pounded on the door. He rose to answer, apprehensive. Normally, the neighbors gave a polite tap or just walked in. Opening the door, he confronted a unit of armed Kaibiles. “We’re going door to door in the neighborhood,” the captain explained, “to let people know there’s a problem with the water supply. It’s contaminated – they shouldn’t drink it until the problem is fixed.”

Recinos’s heart slowed. “I think I can you help you,” he said. “Everyone in the neighborhood listens to this station. If you’d like, you can broadcast a warning and save yourself a lot of trouble.” The captain agreed, and he and his men sat down while Recinos set up the equipment. As Recinos turned back to the captain, he saw the man’s eyes wandering over the signs and awards posted on the wall. The captain’s gaze lingered on Recinos’ award from the guerilla movement for his leadership of La Voz Popular. Recinos froze.

After a long moment, the captain smiled and put out his hand. “I congratulate you, Señor,” he said. “I spent ten years of my youth on that mountain trying to kill you. And I never even got close. And now I need you to help me do my work.” The two men shook hands. The captain made his announcement, thanked Recinos, and departed with his men.

Guatemala Radio Project Station Profile
Radio San Pedro 106.3 FM
The Community:
San Pedro la Laguna is a Mayan town on the shores of a deep lake surrounded by mountains – one of the most beautiful places in Central America. Radio San Pedro serves 33,000 people in San Pedro and the neighboring villages.

The station’s listeners grow coffee and work in tourism (hotels, restaurants, shops, transportation, and traditional crafts) and service industries. Average family income is less than $2,000 per year, and 98 percent of all families grow their own maize and other crops. Their average family size is eight, and very few women work outside the home.

Half of the community’s children attend primary school, and 35 percent attend middle school. The 13 primary and eight middle schools teach in both Tz’utujil Mayan and Spanish. Only 1.2 percent of the students go on to attend university. Almost 100 percent of the population speaks both Mayan and Spanish, but 30 percent are illiterate.

Two doctors serve San Pedro’s 13,000 people in private clinics (one in the Catholic church and the other in the Evangelical Baptist church), assisted by three nurses and one rural healthcare provider. The most common health problems are diarrheal diseases and malnutrition.

Station volunteers report that the community’s most pressing problems are drug addiction, alcoholism, juvenile delinquency, homelessness, lack of waste disposal, and lake pollution.

The Station
Radio San Pedro has no paid staff. Its director, Hugo Tuch Petzey, is a primary school principal. The station’s 20 volunteers range in age from 17 to 65; they are teachers, students, tradesmen, farmers, and homemakers. The station typically broadcasts from 4:00 to 9:00 PM.

Half of the broadcasting is in Spanish, and half in Mayan. Mayan programs broadcast regularly include: “Mother Nature, ” “Music and Words of My People,” “Meeting Jesus and Mary,” Catholic Mass, “Fiesta Tz’utujil,” “World News,” and “Alcoholics Anonymous.” Programs broadcast in Spanish include “My People’s Marimba,” “Yes to Life and No to Drugs,” “What’s Going on in Guatemala” (national politics), “Coffee Talk” and sports news.