March 9-10, the Cultural Survival team completed our final of a series of exchanges between 12 community radio stations here in Guatemala.
March 9-10, the Cultural Survival team completed our final of a series of exchanges between 12 community radio stations here in Guatemala.
On February 22, 2013, in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, Cultural Survival and local community radio association Mujb'ab'l yol held a forum aimed at spreading the word regarding the role of community radio in the fight to democratize speech in Guatemala. With close to 100 guests, including representatives from Congress, and members of the police force and military, the movement gained new sources of support and strengthened existing sources of support.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Camp, Deputy Executive Director, 617-441-5400 x11
On Wednesday, January 16, 2013 the community radio movement in Guatemala held a book release presenting a newly published Spanish language text. Titled “RADIO COMUNITARIA: Su Historia ante un Estado Racista en Guatemala y sus Fundamentos Jurídicos,” the book outlines the history of the community radio in Guatemala, the argument for its legalization, and the history of racism on behalf of the government of Guatemala that has kept Indigenous communities from controlling their own forms of media.
The town of Barillas welcomed home the final eight community leaders who were arrested for being outspoken against the hydroelectric dam project by Hydro Santa Cruz after being declared innocent on January 9th. A total of 12 men were held for up to 8 months in prison in Guatemala CIty under false charges.
After eight months in prison, local courts in Santa Eulalia, Huehuetenango, Guatemala have declared innocent the final eight men that were arrested following protests on May 4th in the town of Santa Cruz Barillas against a proposed hydroelectric dam, along with three others already freed.
This is a major victory for the Q’anjob’al Mayan community who has suffered violence, threats, and criminalization due to their opposition to the Spanish company Hydro Santa Cruz.
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that we are headquartered on Massachusett land, in Cambridge, MA, and we thank the past, current, and future Indigenous stewards of this territory.
