On November 26, 2006, more than 20 people met in Chuicaxtún, Canton Chivax, Totonicapán, Guatemala, to create the project of Community Radio La Niña 88.5 FM. Without any prior technical knowledge of radio broadcasting, production, programming, administration, or how to install a transmitter, we took our first steps in community communication.
On the occasion of World Radio Day 2023, the Community Radio Movement in Guatemala makes it known that the right to freedom of expression of Indigenous Peoples is a human right that unfortunately the State of Guatemala violates and denies Indigenous Peoples. Since the Peace Accords, the State has promised to provide frequencies without a positive response to date.
Cultural Survival condemns the irregular export of Mayan archaeological pieces by the government of Guatemala. The export had the stated purpose of restoring and exhibiting these items at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) in New York City. We also condemn Bill No.
On January 25, 2023, UN member states reviewed Guatemala’s human rights record during the 42nd Session of the Universal Periodic Review, a process carried out by the UN Human Rights Council. This was Guatemala’s fourth cycle of review since 2008.
World Soil Day is held annually on December 5 as a means to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and to advocate for the sustainable management of soil resources. For generations, Indigenous Peoples have shaped landscapes through a reciprocal relationship with the land, thus preserving healthy ecosystems. The connection to the land is mutually tied with Indigenous worldviews. Supporting traditional farming for Indigenous communities is vital.
In September 2022, Cultural Survival and our partner Asociación Sobrevivencia Cultural submitted an alternative report for the 72nd session of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR).
According to the temporary export agreement No. 11-2021 between the Ministry of Culture and Sports and The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City (MET), October 30, 2022, is the deadline to return the Mayan masterpieces Trono I and Dintel III from Piedras Negras, Petén.
Officially, there are only two types of frequencies for radio broadcasting in Guatemala: radio frequencies for private stations and for public or State radio. There is no category for Indigenous community radio and no frequencies are assigned to them, despite the commitment in the 1996 Peace Accords to reform the law to ensure Indigenous Peoples’ access to radio frequencies and to be able to operate them.
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.
