Indigenous Radio

Photo Source:  Esperanza Project

In the Peace Accords of 1996, the indigenous people of Guatemala were promised access to local radio frequencies.  Only commercial or government-run radio stations are currently allowable under Guatemalan law.  However, the commercial radio frequencies are sold at prices well beyond the financial resources of the Maya (Esperanza Project).  As a result, some Mayan individuals have set-up their own pirate radio stations.               

The radio programs offered on the stations typically include news stories, educational content, health information, and traditional Mayan music.  These programs are broadcast in 23 indigenous languages. There are 200+ Mayan stations operating illegally in Guatemala. Police are in the process of confiscating their equipment and shutting them down (Cultural Survival).  The broadcasters are punished with fines of $10,000 - $100,000 and up to 6 years in prison (Sound As a Dollar?).  It is not the illegality of the stations, nor the content of the programs, that ‘threaten’ the ruling power.  Rather, it is the underlying message that Mayan culture survives - despite massive attempts to eradicate it.

By denying access to radio frequencies and imposing steep penalties for transgressors, the Guatemalan government is attempting to silence the voice of the Maya.  The international community has taken note of this issue. Cultural Survival.Org has personally taken on the challenge of securing radio rights for the Maya.  They have organized the radio stations, drafted legislation, and conducted workshops with the broadcasters to help them run better quality, more efficient, broadcasting enterprises.  Anyone desiring to assist with the indigenous radio project should contact  Cultural Survival for more information.  For a fuller discussion of the issue of Maya radio access, please read Victoria Henderson’s master’s thesis, Sound As a Dollar?.