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<font size=4><b>Ecuador: Indigenous Radio Station Spared Closure<br><br>
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<a href="http://upsidedownworld.org/main/ecuador-archives-49/2340-ecuador-indigenous-radio-station-spared-closure" eudora="autourl">
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/ecuador-archives-49/2340-ecuador-indigenous-radio-station-spared-closure</a>
-<br>
</font><font size=3>Written by Jennifer Moore <br>
Friday, 29 January 2010 10:09 <br><br>
On Tuesday, Ecuador's National Telecommunications Commission retracted a
December decision to shut down an indigenous radio station. The
commission, known as CONATEL, had previously determined that the “The
Voice of Arutam” was responsible for inciting indigenous protesters to
violence during a strike in September 2009 that cost the life of an
indigenous bilingual teacher, Bosco Wisum. <br><br>
One indigenous politician called the earlier decision “a Christmas
present to Canadian mining companies” operating in the southern Amazonian
region. Companies hoping to open up the area to gold and copper mining,
such as Vancouver-based Corriente Resources, were the focal point of
local protests in September. Corriente recently announced its sale for
$653 million USD to a Chinese joint venture between the Tongling
Nonferrous Metals Group Holdings Co. Ltd. and the China Railway
Construction Corporation. <br><br>
“The Voice of Arutam” is a Shuar indigenous radio station believed to be
the only broadcaster critically informing listeners about the possible
impacts of projected oil and mining extraction in the southern Amazon.
Its bilingual programming in the Shuar language and Spanish has also
provided important services to remote indigenous communities for decades.
Arutam is the name of the Shuar spiritual guide. <br><br>
CONATEL modified its position in response to criticisms issued last week
by a joint government and indigenous committee that is investigating
circumstances leading up to the death of Wisum. The joint committee's
public declaration concluded that based upon the available evidence “it
is not possible to determine whether or not the editorial line of the
radio station has promoted violence.” <br><br>
The reversal will likely diffuse immediate tensions between the
government and the national indigenous movement led by the Confederation
of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), which had threatened
mobilizations should the broadcaster be closed down. Differences over
extractive industry expansion have contributed to friction between the
administration of President Rafael Correa and the indigenous movement for
the last two years. <br><br>
CONATEL reports that it is now turning over the evidence to the National
General Attorney to consider whether or not Shuar leaders such as Pepe
Acacho, President of the Interprovincial Shuar Federation (FICSH) and
legal representative of the radio station “The Voice of Arutam,” might
personally bear any responsibility for violence which occurred in
September. <br><br>
Lawyer Julio Sarango, who has been defending the radio station, called
CONATEL's decision “sensible,” but expressed concern that Shuar
leaders might now face political persecution. <br>
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