On February 11, 2009 Cultural Survival co-hosted a media conference entitled “Solving the Problem of Pirate Radio Stations.” Panelists included: Dr. Frank La Rue (UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Speech), Dra. Rigoberta Menchu (1992 Nobel Peace Prize laureate), Angelica Cubur (Volunteer, Radio Ixchel), Representative Marvín Orellana (UNE party and Ponente of Community Radio Law), Representative Walter Felix (URNG) and Representative Juan Alcazar (Partido Patriota). The event was also organized with help from COMG, the Consejo de Organizaciones Mayas de Guatemala. Panelists presented convincing arguments for the legalization of community radio. UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Speech, Frank La Rue, said that "in order to promote the freedom of expression, community media is necessary in a multicultural and multilingual country such as Guatemala to portray the diversity of opinion.”
Over 150 people attended the conference, including the country's largest newspaper (Prensa Libre), 2 TV stations (GuateVision and TVMaya), many politicians, NGOs, embassy staff, other press, and foundation representatives. Cultural Survival director of operations, Mark Camp was interviewed multiple times by all media in attendance, and the Ministry of Culture and Sports publicly thanked Cultural Survival for it's work on behalf of the community radio stations.
Juan Alcazar publicly declared Partido Patriota's support (22 votes) for getting a bill passed. We already have the backing of the President of Congress’ Pueblas Indigenas Committee and the UNE party (32 votes) and the eight minor parties (27 votes). Nothing is guaranteed until the floor debate and the vote. The URNG party congressman reported publicly that he is already pushing the General Assembly of the Congress to put the floor debate on the agenda in April and hopeing for a vote in May. We need 105 votes out of 158 for the Community Radio Bill Number 4087 to become law legalizing community radio.
Cultural Survival and its partners will continue to lobby all 158 members of congress in the capital and in their home districts. We have mobilized dozens of volunteers from the community radio stations to do this work. The bill has the backing of several key political parties, and has come the furthest in 12 years of attempts to pass a law to legalize and to grant frequencies to community radio stations. Legalizing community radio will regulate the use of air waves and stop the Public Ministry from raiding and shutting down stations. If the bill passes, it will guarantee the use of at least one FM frequency for community radio in each of Guatemala’s 333 municipalities.
Read a story about the event in America’s Quarterly http://www.americasquarterly.org/node/1247
