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.

Rumors of closed-door agreement signed between town government officials and Spanish hydroelectric company Hidro Santa Cruz sparked confusion and unrest among community members in Barillas, Huehuetenango, Guatemala.

By Febna Caven

"Today is the beginning of a new era" -- Alma Gloria Temaj Morales, Mam Maya spiritual guide from Guatemala

Today is December 21, 2012, the end of the Oxlajuj Baktun cycle, the end of the "long-count" calendar that finishes up a 5,129-year cycle in the Mayan calendar. The ancient Maya people were master astrologers and timekeepers, tracking the stars and planets and developing a cyclical calendar. Today is also the Winter Solstice.

On November 15th, two more political prisoners were released from jail after more than six months in prison without evidence against them.  They were detained on May 4th in Santa Cruz Barillas, Huehuetenango after riots broke out protesting the damming of a river by a Spanish company Hydro Santa Cruz.  Eight more men remain in prison in Guatemala City.  The Independent Media Center of Guatemala released the following statement:

The Community Radio station Radio Damasco of San Pablo, San Marcos, was raided by Guatemalan police on November 15th.

The Congress of Guatemala approved a bill in a closed-door session on November 20th reforming the Telecommunications Law to extend the current commercial radio licenses for another 20 years.

The UN issued a statement in response stating their concern over these new changes that were made without any discussion with affected populations and with what has been called “unusual speed,” according to the national newspaper the Prensa Libre.