(AMARC/IFEX) – The following is joint statement by a coalition of civil society groups, including AMARC: Over the last few days, Radio La Luna, the station that has joined in Quito’s civil disobedience, has been jammed and silenced. For the last six days, the station has opened its airwaves to the public so that they […]
(AMARC/IFEX) – The following is joint statement by a coalition of civil society groups, including AMARC:
Over the last few days, Radio La Luna, the station that has joined in Quito’s civil disobedience, has been jammed and silenced.
For the last six days, the station has opened its airwaves to the public so that they might freely express their opinions and their proposals for Ecuador’s political future. In doing so, it has joined in the growing civil unrest to demand the resignation of Ecuador’s president, Colonel Lucio Gutiérrez.
Everything would seem to indicate that the interference and temporary blackouts Radio Luna has suffered since 17April are the work of the Ecuadorian government, since highly specialised equipment and technicians are needed to wage this kind of electronic war.
We believe that silencing Radio Luna constitutes an attack on freedom of expression and the right to communication of thousands of citizens in the nation’s capital.
We call on the Ecuadorian authorities to end all harassment and attacks on Radio Luna and to respect without limitation people’s freedom to express their ideas and opinions in the media.
We also extend our solidarity to our colleagues at Radio Luna and encourage them to remain firm in their struggle to make free and open media a reality and to contribute, through communications, to the construction of participatory democracy in our countries.
Quito, 18 April 2005
Anamaría Radríguez
President
Latin American and Caribbean Catholic Organisation of Communication (OCLACC)
Luis Cávila Loor
Executive Secretary
Latin American Association of Radio Education (ALER)
Dennis Smith
President
World Association of Christian Communication (WACC-AL)
Mary Ann Lynch
Network Coordinator
OCLACC
Marita Matta
Cordoba National University
School of Information Sciences
Argentina
Rodolfo Aquino
Radio Cutivalú
Piura, Peru
Efraín Campos
New Paths (Caminos Nuevos) Communications Centre
Huacho, Peru
Nestor Piccone
News Manager, National Radio LRA 1
María Pía Matta
Vice president
World Association of Community Radio Boradcasters (AMARC-ALC)
Since popular resistance to Lucio Gutiérrez’s government began in Ecuador, La Luna FM in Quito, a member of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC), has opened its airwaves to the public. As a result, its broadcasts have been the subject of constant pressure and sabotage.
For a live broadcast at La Luna FM’s Website, visit: http://67.15.20.54/%7Ebalam/luna/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=1
or the Pulsar Information Agency, via live channel: http://193.41.7.20:8888
