Juchitán de Zaragoza, Oaxaca, México.
To all the people of Mexico
To the people and governments of the world
To the free independent media and community radio stations
To the local, national and international press
To human rights organizations
Brothers and Sisters- On March 26, during the failed eviction by the state police against the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of the Isthmus (APPJ) who have been opposing the installation of a wind power corridor by maintaining an encampment on the road that leads to Playa Vicente, the facilities of community station Radio Totopo suffered an attack by the Oaxaca State Governor Gabino Cué Monteagudo in cahoots with the Mayor of Juchitán Daniel Gurrión Matías. The cables that provide light to our space were cut and it is important to note that this space not only operates the radio station but is also a community and cultural center. This center has served the local population with many activities including academic counseling for children, a stage for artistic expression, and a meeting place for members of our community to speak in our native language. With the current situation of our rejection of the wind power companies’ project it has become a space to share information using our FM radio signal and also to open space for assemblies.
On the 26th we were able to connect the power with the help of the community and transmit a special program about what had happened and inform the local population about the threat of these wind power companies in our territory. We also broadcast with loudspeakers throughout the city of Juchitán, an action which was well received by the people .
Today, in response to our communication and community outreach an action of sabotage was carried out by against our facilities robbing work equipment and our transmitter and the power cables were cut once again. This action doesn’t appear to be carried out by authorities but instead by a para-police vigilante group.
We understand this to be a clear message to silence the voices of our community. Yet another attack against the decisions made by communities to organize themselves and struggle for what belongs to them and defend it.
Since the radio is a central point of communication and dissemination we understand that this should not allow our work as open communicators and community members to be adversely affected and therefore seek the means for people to be informed about what is happening in our community and likewise denounce the state government of Oaxaca, the Juchitán municipal government and the companies that at the expense of our blood and our territories try to impose their wind power farms. With the sabotage we suffer in our facilities and future detrimental actions to the cultural space in which we participate we declare the following:
Stop the attacks on liberated community radio stations!
Stop the repression against popular communicators!
No to the installation of wind farms in our territories!
An injury to one is an injury to all!
From the Seventh Section of Juchitán de Zaragoza
Communicators of Radio Totopo
