Photo: Santiago Navarro F
A dense fog slowly creeps through the southern Sierra mountains of Oaxaca, as if dancing to the rhythm of a soft melody, while a mix of voices echo like a murmur from an old wood box radio. “It is the signal of Chontal radio,” says a campesino who is listening attentively.
It was a Sunday just like any other, yet it wasn’t. It was July 28, 2024, a day now engraved in the memory of a generation of Chontal youth and adults in the southern Sierra mountains of Oaxaca, in southern Mexico. The day will be remembered because everyone dusted off their radios, and tuned in early to 95.9 fm. It was the day that the community radio Jlijualey Tzomé, of the Chontal people began broadcasting through the radio waves.
Silvia Ramírez Nolasco smiles remembering that the planning of the community radio lasted about four years, a period where many different things happened. “But we are happy. I just saw some uncles who are elders, they were in the radio station giving guidance. They are excited to be able to listen, and also that their voices can be amplified,” shares Silvia.
Silvia’s memories travel back and forth as she responds to the question: “How was the radio project born?”
She responds with certainty: “It was a necessity. When we found out about the mining concession that existed in our territory, we began to organize ourselves and inform the people. It was not easy. We had to go from community to community, assembly after assembly. Now with the radio the information can arrive much faster, and to all the different communities and beyond.”
The mining concession in Chontal territory covers more than 5,000 hectares belonging to Minera Zalamera S.A. de C.V. an affiliate of the Canadian mining company Minaurum Gold Inc., seeking to exploit gold, silver, copper, zinc, and lead from the area.
“The entire community was put on alert. We created the Assembly of the Chontal People. We organized as women and that’s then we decided that we needed our own media project,” adds Silvia.
In 2020, the Assembly of the Chontal People agreed to create their own community radio. Since then, the project has been training different adults and youth. Today the radio is a reality, constructed collectively on the hill of Santa Lucía Mecaltepec, from where you can see the mountain range on the horizon.
Photo: Santiago Navarro F
“It is exciting to see that our radio is providing a voice to what was previously ignored,” comments Silvia. “The adults and youth are committed to the radio, and it is a reflection of the desire of our communities to be organized to defend our territory,” she adds.
To arrive to the hillside where the radio cabin is, some participants have to walk up to two hours, to fulfill their community responsibility. Each community has to name a woman and a man who offer their service in maintaining the radio alive. They are those who make up the Equipo Semillero. “The fact that we have created our own radio wasn’t easy. The first obstacle that we faced was that the youth learned throughout the year, and then they left and we had to train a new team. So, we decided that the outgoing team had to train the new one and like that we have continued the project,” explains Silvia.
Equipo Semillero is made up of youth between the ages of 18 and 30, but also adults of more than 40 years of age who have assumed this community responsibility which rotates every year. “This process has been true team work. Those who already have experience make sure that the new ones are prepared to continue with the dream,” says Silvia.
Radio as a Tool
Photo: Santiago Navarro F
Silvia has noted that each Sunday the women in the kitchen or in their everyday labor turn on their radio to listen to the broadcast. At the moment, the radio broadcasts on Sundays from 10am to 1pm. “For us it is a tool that allows the communities to share news and local events, but also to preserve the Chontal language, that is in danger of extinction,” adds Silvia.
The Assembly of the Chontal People, in collaboration with the organization Tequio Jurídico A.C. has launched a call for high school students in the Chontal region, with the intention of opening the doors of the radio to other youth. They are offering workshops both in person and online, as well as experience in the radio cabin. The workshops are limited to ten people. Different youth have applied immediately, hoping to participate. The call closes on August 12.
Although the mining concession has been suspended due to ongoing organizing and struggle that the 16 Chontal communities have maintained, the risk is latent. Any company could return and acquire the concession causing serious impacts in the region. “For this reason, we must always be on alert. Our radio also serves that purpose,” adds Silvia.
The signal is still in the monitoring phase. The agrarian and municipal authorities have supported the Equipo Semillero, ensuring that the radio continues to operate and grow.
Meanwhile, Silvia's stare is lost in the horizon and she says, “We are seeing the fruit of years of work and dedication, we are fulfilling the motto of our radio: Bringing the voice to the Chontal hills and villages.”
