Community Radio Activists Under Attack in Mexico and Honduras

                   Beatríz Alberta Cariño and Jyri Jaakkola were assassinated on April 27th in Oaxaca Mexico

This has been a tragic week for supporters of indigenous autonomy and community media in Mexico and Honduras.

On Tuesday April 27th, a caravan bringing humanitarian aid to an autonomous community in Oaxaca, Mexico, was attacked by a paramilitary group linked to the state government. The autonomous Triqui community of San Juan Copala has been the subject of threats and violence from paramilitary groups for years. In 2008 two indigenous women radio promoters were assassinated as they traveled to a regional meeting of community radio organizations.Since January, the paramilitaries have blockaded the community, cutting off access to supplies, medical care, and the outside world. The solidarity caravan carried humanitarian aid, international observers, journalists, and teachers hoping to return to work in the community schools. They were ambushed outside of the community by masked men wielding AK - 47s. At this time, two caravan members have been confirmed dead: Jyri Jaakkola, a Finnish observer, and Beatríz Alberta Cariño, and indigenous rights and community radio organizer.

Bety Cariño was the director of the Center of Community Support Working Together (CACTUS), a founder of the Indigenous Community Radio Network of Southeast Mexico, and a member of the coordinating committee of the Mexican Network of People Affected by Mining (REMA). She was also the mother of two beautiful children.

Her loss echoes across borders and around the world. 

On the same day as the attack in Oaxaca, Other Worlds received an urgent appeal from our friend and ally Berta Cáceres of the indigenous organization COPINH in Honduras. Berta said that, as has been the case with all of the groups resisting the military coup in Honduras, COPINH has suffered an increasing number of death threats and attacks against them in recent weeks. When members of COPINH traveled recently to attend the launch of a sister radio station in a nearby community, the house they were staying in was shot up with high caliber weapons. They have been followed and monitored openly, the young people who work on their community radio station have been threatened, and there have been attempts to block the frequencies of the stations.

Six Honduran journalists have been murdered since February.

We are filled with outrage and sadness at these vicious attacks against incredible people who have dedicated their lives to creating just alternatives.

To read more about the threats against indigenous and community media organizations in Mexico and Honduras you can go to:

My Word is My Weapon (Mexico)

Honduras Resists (Honduras)

To make a donation to support the work of COPINH, please visit our Support Alternatives page.