This summer Cultural Survival's partners in the community radio network in Guatemala have embarked on a new initiative of local exchanges among radio stations. This past weekend, on July 21-22, two pairs of radio stations visited each other to get to know their work models.

Stations were paired up for exchanges based on shared languages, regional proximity, and a good match of skills and weaknesses.  One pair of stations included Radio Doble Via, of San Mateo Quetzaltenango, with Stereo La X Musical, of Cajola Quetzaltenango.

On July 7–8, 2012, members of 15 community radio stations partnering with Cultural Survival’s radio network across Guatemala gathered for a workshop in the Mujb’ab’l Yol training center in San Mateo, Quetzaltenango. The workshop focused on the difficult topic of historical memory of Guatemala’s 36-year armed conflict, which claimed the lives of 200,000 mostly Indigenous people. With the goal of using self-expression as a tool to alleviate trauma, participants wrote and

The community radio station La Voz de Palestina is located in the highland community of Palestina de los Altos, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Founded just over a year ago, the station is has been little by little gathering the equipment and personnel to broadcasting.  Nestled into a tiny room in the corner of the town’s public library, the radio station has just enough to get by, but no more.

On May 8th, in the village of San Miguel Chicaj, Baja Verapaz, the Achi-Mayan community radio station, Uqul Tinamit "The Voice of the People," was raided by national police forces; their equipment confiscated and one member of the station arrested and fined.

The president of Guatemala declared a state of martial law in the town of Santa Cruz Barillas, Huehuetenango, suspending civil liberties as a result of unrest in the community instigated by proposed hydroelectric project "Cambalam."  The town has been invaded by 600 military and police, arrested 17 people and invaded more than 20 homes, under the pretense of combating drug-trafficking.

On May 8, 2012, at 10:30 AM, Uqul Tinamit community radio station, a Cultural Survival Community Radio Program Partner, that serves the Achi Maya village of San Miguel Chicaj, Baja Verapaz was raided by the Guatemalan police and the Ministerio Publico. Bryan Cristofer Espinoza Ixtapa, the radio station volunteer who was on the air at the time on the raid, was detained by the police. In addition, the radio station’s transmitter, computer, and sound mixer were seized.