8.9 Mb 128 kbps 9 minutes 43 seconds

Merlin Aguigure, encarcelada por tener pintura, por la policia Hondureno, entrevista por Julie Webb.

(Merlin Aguigure spent days in prison under dangerous conditions when police found a can of spray paint in her car. She was charged with 'malicious damge').

2Mb. 128kbps stereo 2 minutes 6 seconds
(Testimony of sister in law of civilian fatally wounded by Colonel, Tegucigalpa, November 28)

Testimonio de Ana Alvira, cunada del herido Angel Salgado Hernandez en el hospital en Tegucigalpa.

9Mb. 128 kbps 9 minutes 45 seconds

Julie Webb on the phone to community radio from Tegucigalpa where she is covering the lead up to the illegal 'elections' in Honduras on November 29. Tegucigalpa is living in a state of terror as human rights violations by the military mount almost hourly. Julie speaks from the hospital where the latest victim of a trigger-happy Colonel is in a critical condition and not expected to live.

8Mb 128kbps stereo 8 minutes 47 seconds

(Image: Workers' offices shot up by government military shortly before 'elections' of November 29. Photo by Ricardo Salgado)

Questions about the candidates, and why one candidate, who was a supporter of the Resistance Front made the difficult decision to stand anyway, instead of joining the boycott. (The official policy of the Resistance Front was to deny the legitimacy of the elections).

14Mb. 128 kbps 15 minutes

(Image  - offices of worker organisation shot up by military on day of the elections. Photo; Ricardo Salgado)

Rights Action delegation ask a spokesperson what direction the Popular Front is likely to take after 'election' day.

9.26  128kbps. stereo 10 minutes 7 seconds

Resistance representatives answer questions about the candidates who are left willing to run for election in the boycotted elections in Honduras, which are of dubious legitimacy, to a visiting delegation of human rights observers. Several hundred mayors and Congresspersons have withdrawn from the elections in protest, asserting that the coup regime is simply staging the elections to claim false legitimacy and recognition.

12Mb. 128 kbps stereo 12 minutes 55 seconds

Veteran journalist of Radio Globo Honduras describes the coup regime's systematic repression of the media. Radio Globo has been closed down a number of times since the coup regime took power. He describes the regime's tactics, and the tactics of the Resistance to defend and maintain an independent media.

4.7Mb 128kbps  5 minutes 10 seconds

Luis Aguilar fields questions from a visiting human rights delegation organised by Rights Action about the mechanisms that may be available for constitutional change in Honduras  - the very issue that triggered the coup against President Zelaya. Recorded by Julie Webb of Scoop online publication.

28.3 Mb. 320kbps Stereo 12 minutes 22 seconds

Luis Aguilar fields questions about the influences and interventions behind the coup in Honduras and the regional implications.

(Note: interruptions in the presentation were momentary, for recording purposes)

14Mb. 96kbps stereo 20 minutes 29 seconds

Luis Aguilar, of the Resistance group 'Los Necios' talks to a delegation about the main actors in the coup regime, and the influences at work behind the facade.

5.2 Mb. 96kbps. stereo 6 minutes 25seconds

Bertha Caceres human rights activist in Tegucigalpa, talks at a forum on the Honduran people's desire for a Constituent Assembly for Constitutional change  -  the very issue that triggered the coup four months ago. Elections promoted by the coup regime are due in a few days, and most of the people intend to boycott them, along with most of the international community.

The forum was recorded by Julie Webb (of Scoop magazine) and translated by Graeme Russel, Human Rights lawyer and coordinator of Rights Action, which has organised delegations to Honduras.

Interview 3.

Osman  Lopez

1.5Mb 96kbps stereo 2 minutes 12 seconds

Julie Webb in Tegucigalpa interviewing participants in protests against the coup regime  - protests that have been continuing now for close to four months. With staged elections boycotted by the protesting Honduran people, tensions are mounting. Julie asks why. The answer? Maria's parents were victims of a similar 'coup d'etat' in Bolivia, against the current President, Evo Morales.

Julie Webb esta en Tegucigalpa, capital de Honduras donde hay protestas por cientos de milles de Hondurenos en contra del regimen golpista. El pueblo quieren boicotear las elecciones por su illegitimidad, y la represion y indicios de fraude en Noviembre 29. Julie pregunta - el como, y el porque de Osman Lopez,de su presencia en las manifestaciones en contra de los golpistas.

Interview 3.

Maria Lopez

4Mb 96kbps stereo 4 minutes 55 seconds

Julie Webb in Tegucigalpa interviewing participants in protests against the coup regime  - protests that have been continuing now for close to four months. With staged elections boycotted by the protesting Honduran people, tensions are mounting. Julie asks why. The answer? Maria's parents were victims of a similar 'coup d'etat' in Bolivia, against the current President, Evo Morales.

Julie Webb esta en Tegucigalpa, capital de Honduras donde hay protestas por cientos de milles de Hondurenos en contra del regimen golpista. El pueblo quieren boicotear las elecciones por su illegitimidad, y la represion y indicios de fraude en Noviembre 29. Julie pregunta - el como, y el porque de Maria Lopez, cuyos padres fueron victimas de un intentado golpe de estado contra Evo Morales, en Bolivia.

1.4Mb  96kbps. Stereo 2mins.
Second Interview: Sara Simone Lara

Julie Webb in Tegucigalpa interviewing participants in protests against the coup regime  - protests that have been continuing now for close to four months. With staged elections boycotted by the protesting Honduran people, tensions are mounting. Julie asks why.

Julie Webb esta en Tegucigalpa, capital de Honduras donde hay protestas por cientos de milles de Hondurenos en contra del regimen golpista. El pueblo quieren boicotear las elecciones por su illegitimidad, y la represion y indicios de fraude en Noviembre 29.

Entrevista 2. Sara Simone Lara

1.4Mb  96kbps. Estereo 2mins.

   4Mb. 96kbps. stereo 5mins 48 seconds

Spanish language. Dr. Diaz.

Julie Webb in Tegucigalpa interviewing participants in protests against the coup regime  - protests that have been continuing now for close to four months. With staged elections boycotted by the protesting Honduran people, tensions are mounting. Julie asks why.

Julie Webb esta en Tegucigalpa, capital de Honduras donde hay protestas por cientos de milles de Hondurenos en contra del regimen golpista. El pueblo quieren boicotear las elecciones por su illegitimidad, y la represion y indicios de fraude en Noviembre 29.

El primero de los entrevistados  - Dr. Gerardo Diaz, contesta; como y porque esta en protesta contra el regimen y las elecciones falsas y fraudulentes.

(Spanish Language). A series of recordings of the proceedings, and interviews with participants of a Meso-American Forum, some sessions of which were held in Nicaragua. Reported and recorded by Julie Webb of Scoop  magazine who is currently in Honduras covering the farcical elections, and who will be reporting to community radio.

(Part 3  - draft reading of full declaration)

(Grabaciones de los sucesos y participantes en el Foro MesoAmericano en los reuniones en Nicaragua. Reportajes por Julie Webb de la revista Scoop. Julie esta, en este momento en Honduras, haciendo reportajes y entrevistas sobre las elecciones falsas, de noviembre 29, promovidos por el regimen golpista).


Part 3 Foro MesoAmericano
Lectura Borrador (Draft Reading)

11.1 Mb. 96kbps. Estereo 16minutes 16 seconds

(Spanish Language). A series of recordings of the proceedings, and interviews with participants of a Meso-American Forum, some sessions of which were held in Nicaragua. Reported and recorded by Julie Webb of Scoop  magazine who is currently in Honduras covering the farcical elections, and who will be reporting to community radio.

(Grabaciones de los sucesos y participantes en el Foro MesoAmericano en los reuniones en Nicaragua. Reportajes por Julie Webb de la revista Scoop. Julie esta, en este momento en Honduras, haciendo reportajes y entrevistas sobre las elecciones falsas, de noviembre 29, promovidos por el regimen golpista).

Part 2 Foro MesoAmericano
Declaracion Frontera (Frontier Declaration)
2Mb. 96kbps stereo 3minutes

(Spanish Language). A series of recordings of the proceedings, and interviews with participants of a Meso-American Forum, some sessions of which were held in Nicaragua. Reported and recorded by Julie Webb of Scoop  magazine who is currently in Honduras covering the farcical elections, and who will be reporting to community radio.

(Grabaciones de los sucesos y participantes en el Foro MesoAmericano en los reuniones en Nicaragua. Reportajes por Julie Webb de la revista Scoop. Julie esta, en este momento en Honduras, haciendo reportajes y entrevistas sobre las elecciones falsas, de noviembre 29, promovidos por el regimen golpista).

Part 1 Foro MesoAmericano

Bertha Caceres. Activista en los Derechos Humanos en Honduras

7 Mb 96kbps stereo 10 mins 41segundos

5.6Mb 128kbps  6 minutes 7 seconds.

Graham Russel of Rights Action talks to community radio about the latest outbreaks of violence in Guatemala  - no it isn't guerilla or terrorist acts - they have been commited by the 'security' guards paid by a Canadian mining company, that has been in cahoots with a corrupt Guatemalan military establishment that goes back to the 1960s.

2Mb. 128 kbps 2 minutes 11 seconds

Jose Teixero, Fretilin Parliamentarian comments on the budget debate in the Timorese Parliament, that does not seem to be fulfilling the needs of the majority of the Timorese people.

6.2Mb. 128 kbps mono 6 minutes 42 seconds

Jose Texeiro, Fretilin Parliamentarian questions the need for armed gunmen inside the Parliament of Timor Leste.

6Mb. 128 kbps. mono 6 mins 34 seconds.

Alexis, spokesperson for CISPES  (Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador) talks about the activities of the Pacific Rim Mining Company in El Salvador, currently sueing the government for closing down its operations after the deaths and disappearances of anti-mining activists.

16.214.5Mb. 128kbps. mono    18mins   (Spanish Language)


En el editorial del Tasmanian Times , James Dryburgh hizo este entrevista con David Rodriguez. David esta visitando Australia como un Diputado de la Asamblea de El Salvador, y representante del FMLN. James pregunta  - como es, ser politico despues de tantos anos como guerillero? Pueden las experiencias de vivir como guerillero informarel comportamiento politico?

Editor at large of the Tasmanian Times James Dryburgh interviewed visiting Salvadoran Parliamentarian David Rodriguez. James has some interesting questions for David, especially how his experience as a guerilla fighter informs his role as a politician. Something our more comfortable Australian pollies might think about.

6.7 Mb 128 kbps 7 minutes 16 seconds.

Rafael Alegria, un dirigente de La Frente de la Resistencia de Honduras da conirmacion que el regimen golpista esta planificando una fuerte represion contra el pueblo que va boicotear las elecciones de Noviembre 29 - hasta pasar los nombres de unos 1500 personas para ser asesinados. El pueblo tambien se esta preparando.

6.4Mb. 128 kbps mono 6mins 55 seconds

Santiago Reyes, representante de la Frente de Resistencia Hondurena en Australia communica las noticias perturbador de una represion massiva contra el pueblo Hondureno pro parte del regimen golpista para empujar las elecciones illegitimas de Noviembre 29.

3.4Mb 128kbps mono  3mins 40 seconds

Socrates Coello de la CUTH explica las preparaciones del pueblo. La Frente de la Resistencia esta boicoteando las elecciones de noviembre 29 por ser illegal, fraudelent, y bajo las condiciones represivas del regiment golpista.

(Socrates Coello of the Central Workers' Union of Honduras talks about the preparations the people are making to boycott the November 29 elections that are universally regarded as being illegitimate, undemocratic, and under repressive conditions set by the criminal coup regime).

6.72Mb. 128kbps mono 7 minutes 20 seconds

Andres Conteris, journalist for Democracy Now has been inside the  Brazilian Embassy with President Zelaya since day one. A month and a half later the one hundred or so inside the Embassy is down to 30. Nevertheless, the commitment to resist the coup regime honestly and calmly is as strong as ever. President Zelaya is counting on the international community not to recognise the illegal, and heavily compromised 'elections' of November 29 to bring some kind of social equity and natural justice to the Honduran people.

7 Mb. 128kbps mono 7 mins 34 seconds.

Karen Spring with Rights Action talks with community radio about the response of the people to efforts by the coup regime of Honduras, and the US to legitimise the elections of November 29. The Resistance Front claims that conditions for a free and fair election do not exist, and that hold the elections before President Zelaya is reinstated is in contradiction of the spirit agreement signed on October 30. The US appears to be in compliance with the position of the regime.

Toni Solo reflects on the shocking retraction of the US' professed commitment to recognise the November 29 elections in Honduras if President Zelaya is reinstated. De facto president Micheletti signed an agreement brokered by the US to reinstate President Zelaya on October 30, but refused to convene the Honduras Congress to ratify the agreement. President Zelaya is still a virtual prisoner trapped inside the Brazilian Embassy, even though it was assumed that he could resume the Presidential seat after the November 5 deadline.

On the weekend of November 7 the US unexpectedly announced that the US would recognise the November elections, whether Zelaya was reinstated or not  - thus conferring a spurious legitimacy on the regime and dividing the Organisation of American States in its original position of not recognising the elections if Zelaya was not reinstated beforehand.

13.5 128kbps. mono 14mins. 35 secs.

Ricardo Salgado, Honduran analyst of the 'crisis' in Honduras explains the latest developments. In spite of US pressure on the coup regime to recognise the legitimacy of Zelaya as President ten days ago, the President is still trapped inside the Brazilian Embassy. The 'agreement' (designed more to save face for the US and the coup regime rather than the restoration of a democratic 'solution') has failed. The coup regime has failed to meet the one week deadline to restore Zelaya to his post as President in a reasonable amount of time to allow a 'clean' election process. 

The Resistance Front (according to polls supported by over 70% of the population) has announced that they will not recognised the November 29 elections, and the single opposition candidate, Carlos Reyes, has withdrawn his candidature. If the coup regime goes ahead with the elections it could destabilise the entire region. There is a call for the international community not to recognise the legitimacy of the elections. With the US playing a reluctant role (although one of the key players) in promoting a just resolution to the crisis, the Obama administration may be deferring a small problem until it becomes a big problem.

10Mb. 128 kbps. 10 minutes 43 seconds.

(Spanish Language  -  Espanol)

Octubre 31 es el aniversario de la destruccion por medio de una bomba de las oficinas de FENASTRAS en 1989. Murieron 9 companeros, incluso la famosa Phoebe Velasquez, dirigente de vanguardia, y muchos heridos.

Gerardo Diaz fue el Secretario General de FENASTRAS en los anos ochenta, durante los dias de la mas fuerte represion en El Salvador. El habla dela naturaleza de esta represion, y las tacticas que los syndicalistas activistas desarollaron para aguantar el hostigamiento de la policia, escuadrones de la muerte, y paramilitares.

(October 31 is the anniversary of the destruction of the premises of the FENASTRAS union confederation, in 1989. Nine comrads died in the powerful bomb blast, including the famous leader, Phoebe Velasquez, and many more were seriously injuted.

Gerardo Diaz was the Secretary General of FENASTRAS in the late 1980s when El Salvador was subjected to some of the worst repression. From his home in Sydney (where he eventually sought political asylum) he talks about the police harassment the Union and its members endured, and the tactics the unionists developed to endure it  - lessons that may be valuable today for the workers of neighbouring Honduras undergoing a similar repression).

10.4 Mb. 128 kbps. mono. 11 minutes 21 seconds.

Ricardo Salgado reports from Honduras on the withdrawal of Resistance Front Representative from the 'dialogue' between President Zelaya and the coup regime.  A positive outcome is not likely, and it seems that repression of the Honduran people by the coup regime is growing proportionately. The interview was paused while Ricardo went out to investigate the sound of shooting in the streets - a sound he says, the Honduran people have become all too used to.

6.1Mb. 128 kbps mono 6 minutes 40 seconds

Israel Salinas del CUTH explicando lo que pasa en una semana critica para Honduras  -  'Dialogo' con los golpistas incluyo un representante del Frente de Resistencia, Juan Barahona. Barahona se sentio obligado a retirar del dialogo, porque El Frente esta comprometido de no acceptar la condicion de prohibir una Asamblea Constituyente. Sin embargo El Frente sigue fuerte en su apoyo al Presidente Zelaya.

(Israel Salinas, Union leader of the CUTH explains what is happening at the beginnin of a critical week for Honduras. The 'dialogue' with the coup regime included a representative of the massive Honduran Resistance Front, Juan Barahona. Barahona felt obliged to withdraw from the 'dialogue' process because the Front is committed not to accept a condition that would prohibit a Constituent Assembly. Nevertheless, the Front is still strong in its support of President Zelaya. )

15.6Mb. 128 kbps mono 17 minutes 7 seconds

(Photo courtesy  of Radio Gualcho)

Toni Solo returns to Nicaragua after a week in Honduras where he has picked up disturbing stories that someone is returning fire on the police. By most accounts the 'gangs' or 'maras' (closely involved with the narcotics trade in Central American countries) guarding their 'turf'  -  but in this case the police were pursuing and firing on a street demonstration that took refuge in a poor neighbourhood, or 'barrio'.  But there was also another armed group defending the demonstrators who were clearly not gang members  - this just a week after a report that a police station had been overrun and weapons taken.

While the demonstrations are well disciplined and strictly non violent, if the coup regime does not respond positively to the deadline offered this October 15  - after 115 days of non violent protest, some elements  might be forgiven for thinking of armed struggle as an option.

3Mb. 128 kbps mono 3minutes 18 seconds

(Photo courtesy of Radio Gualcho, Honduras)

While proclaiming to the international community and media that they are 'prepared to negotiate' the coup regime of Honduras has made it obvious that there is one point that they will not negotiate  - that is the reinstatement of President Zelaya, who is sheltering in the Brazilian Embassy. The Micheletti coup regime set up a hydraulic lift with two snipers wearing night goggles on a level with the second story of the Embassy, in a clear attempt at further intimidate the President and his supporters inside. Ricardo Salgado reports from Honduras in an exclusive interview with community radio 2NimFm

7.2Mb. 128kbps mono 7 minutes 50 seconds

Part 2 of Toni Solo (tortillaconsal)  interview on the regional context of the Honduras crisis. In this section Toni discusses the lessons learned from CAFTA after he spent an hour with the Nicaraguan Minister for Finance.

25 Mb. 129kbps. mono 28 minutes

Toni Solo travels frequently between Nicaragua and Honduras. In this in depth interview he talks about the Honduras situation, 110 days after the coup, the latest developments, President Zelaya's deadline to break the impasse with the de feacto coup government, and what the implications of the Honduras crisis are for the region.

7Mb 128kbps mono 7 minutes 23 seconds

Andres Conteris Andres and others say that there may be a 'light at the end of the tunnel'.  Elements within the military and business community that originally backed the coup are putting pressure on the Micheletti de-facto
government to be less intransigent and negotiate.

The President and his supporters in the besieged Brazilian Embassy had high morale and were in good spirits, having just celebrated the birthday of the President's grandchild. He sent a gruff 'Saludos' to community radio in Australia.

But for the people of Honduras the issue now goes far further than reinstating Zelaya. They are demanding the Constitutional reform and determined to defy the suspension of Constitutional guarantees that has unleashed a wave of repression.

12.7 Mb 128 kbps. mono   14 minutes

Ricardo Salgado has just returned from the Brazilian Embassy where President Zelaya is defying three police lines and attempts by the coup regime to dislodge him and his supporters in contravention of international law. The Honduras Resistance movement is planning mass marches for tomorrow, and will attempt to retake Radio Globo that was shut down by the coup regime yesterday. Radio Globo is still broadcasting through the internet, and a network of smaller community radio stations. Will the resistance movement cause the de facto coup regime collapse under its own weight of repression sooner, or later?

5.5 Mb.128kbps mono 6 minutes

Andres Conteris, journalist for "Democracy Now" is inside the Brazilian Embassy in Honduras with President Zelaya where he has taken refuge until restored to his legitimate role. The Brazilian Embassy is under siege by the Honduran armed forces who have attempted to cut food supplies, water and electricity, jam communications and set up sound boxes designed to emit high pitched, irritating high decibal noise inside the Embassy grounds.

A week later, and the coup regime has declared a suspension of all constitutional rights and put an ultimatum to the Brazilian government. International reaction to this disturbing move has been disappointingly slow, especially from the US. The toll of casualties is mounting, the latest a woman who died from the effects of the teargas assault on the Brazilian Embassy. Radio Globo is no longer transmitting, but has maintained its internet stream. The Honduran coup regime is reacting hysterically and with typical excessive force against the popular outrage that has only grown over the last three months, with hundreds of thousands, and sometimes millions, of people out in the streets in protest on a daily basis.

7.6Mb. 128kbps mono 8:17 mins

Representante del Frente Hondureno habla con radio communitario sobre la situacion en Honduras despues la declaracion del regimen golpista sobre la derrogacion de derechos constitucionales del pais. Tambien actividades dentro Australia para vencer la represion.

Santiago represents the Honduran Resistance Front in Australia. The suspension of constitutional rights by the coup regime has shocked people around the world; Santiago hopes that a meeting arranged by the Mexican Embassy with the Australian Foreign Minister will help to overcome the slow response and the diappointing reluctance of the US government to categorically reject this outrage against the Honduran people.

11.2 Mb.  128kbps mono 12minutes 12 seconds.

Andres Conteris, journalist for "Democracy Now" is inside the Brazilian Embassy in Honduras with President Zelaya where he has taken refuge until he is restored to his legitimate role. The Brazilian Embassy is under siege by the Honduran armed forces who have attempted to cut food supplies, water and electricity, jam communications and set up sound boxes designed to emit high pitched, irritating high decibal noise inside the Embassy grounds.

Andres speaks with community radio station 2NimFM  and Latin Radical 
describes the situation there just a few hours after the Honduran military pumped some kind of noxious gas into the Embassy grounds.

5.2Mb. 64kbps. mono 11 minutes

Ricardo Salgado from Honduras - 88th day of the coup, protest, and now insurrection, with people defying the coup regime's attempts to impose a round the clock curfew. 50,000 people are still demonstrating in the capital Tegucigalpa, and the military have taken over two sport stadiums to hold the people they have arrested and held. The popular media (radio globohonduras and Canal 36) are holding out despite attempts to shut them down, and announced and frustrated two planned attempts to assassinate President Zelaya within the Brazilian Embassy.

8.3Mb. 128kbps. mono 9 mins 3 secs.
Espanol
(Spanish language)

Socrates Coelho, dirigente syndicalista del CUTH en Honduras habla con radio communitario en Australio sobre lo que ocurre en Honduras, la noche 22 - 23 de Septiembre. Milles de manifestantes estan siendo agredido por la policia y militares y paramilitares para su mero apoyo al Presidente Zelaya que esta en la Embajada Brasilena, rodeado por los militares del gobierno de-facto de Micheletti.

El pueblo han rechazado la fuerte represion y mientras hablaba con Socrates el pueblo montaba una verdardera insurreccion, desafiando el toque de queda impuesto por el regimen golpista, a pesar de muertos y heridos. Como dijo Socrates, el pueblo no tiene miedo de las reacciones desesperados de los golpistas.

4.6Mb. 64kbps mono 10:05  mins.

Grahame Russel, human rights lawyer for Rights Action has been involved in exposing the activities of Canadian mining companies in Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico, for over five years. He explains the violation of a range of human rights by this company, and its' connections with corrupt and repressive governments in Central America and Mexico, particularly more recently, in Honduras.

8.2Mb 64kbps mono 18minutes

Ricardo Salgado in Honduras describes how almost half the population of Honduras turned out on the streets on September 15  (Independence Day) in protest against the coup regime of Micheletti, who still insists on holding elections on November 29, in spite of popular outrage and a proposed boycott.

The evolution of the Resistance Front, its' political development, and goals that now go far beyond the simple return and reinstatement of exiled President 'Mel Zelaya' is unprecedented in Honduras' history, and the sustained popular resistance  - now past its' 80th day, unprecedented anywhere.

8.6Mb. 128kbps. mono   9mins 25secs

Israel Salinas es un syndicalista del CUTH, dando un reportaje de la grande marcha de la Resistencia Septiembre 15  - muy differente este ano que en los anos anteriores, con 300,000 personas en las calles del capital, Tegucigalpa, y dos millones mas en el pais, todas protestando el regimen golpista de Micheletti.

Israel habla sobre la posicion de 'Mel' Zelaya, el Frente de la Resistencia, y las elecciones de Noviembre 29.

14.3Mb. 128kbps 15mins 45 secs

Grahame Russel from Action Rights has just returned to his home in the northern USA after two weeks in Honduras as an observer. Graham is a human rights lawyer and has been following the coup in Honduras closely, ever since he witnessed the events of late June and early July. In this report he describes the massive march in protest against the coup regime on September 15, a day when Honduras traditionally celebrates its independence from Spain.

Graham provides an analysis of the strengths of the Resistance Front, and the implications of the boycott of the elections proposed by the coup regime for November 29.

14Mb. 128kbps. mono 15 mins 10 secs.

Ricardo Salgado Honduran researcher talks about the 77th day of popular resistance to the coup regime in Honduras, and the impossibility of a fair election there on October 29. The coup regime is starting to come apart at the seams, while the Resistance Front is growing in strength, motivation, objectives, and organisational skills. This in spite of more selective techniques of intimidation and elimination by paramilitary 'death squads'.

19Mb. 128kbps mono 15 mins

Ricardo Salgado is a Honduran, and independent researcher heavily involved in social work in Honduras. He gives us an inside view of the situation there, including the massive marches, occurring almost daily for two months now, and how the movement has grown to the extent that the aspirations of the people go far beyond the return of their elected President, who has been exiled by the coup regime.

The popular Resistance Front is threatening to boycott elections due to be held at the end of November, if their President is not reinstated. The situation becomes more and more tense as the election day draws near. The people now are determined, and prepared for the 'long haul' to see their demands for social justice recognised, and end of the grip on the country held by generations of the 'ten families'.

4.23 128kbps mono 9:15 mins

Tortilla con Sal pt.2
Toni Solo (of Tortilla con Sal Nicaraguan web magazine) analyses the 65th day of continual protest in Honduras, by hundreds of thousands of protesters almost daily. They are protesting in a non violent way, against the coup regime who abducted their legally elected President and preventing his return. Police and military repression against the non violent protesters is mounting, but going unreported in the mainstream media. The popular resistance has grown so strong that by now, the reinstatement of President Zelaya is just one aspect of a massive demand for social justice. Honduras will never be the same.

4.5Mb 128kbps mono 4:50mins

Tortilla con Sal pt.1
Toni Solo (of Tortilla con Sal Nicaraguan web magazine) analyses the 65th day of continual protest in Honduras, by hundreds of thousands of protesters almost daily. They are protesting in a non violent way, against the coup regime who abducted their legally elected President and preventing his return. Police and military repression against the non violent protesters is mounting, but going unreported in the mainstream media. The popular resistance has grown so strong that by now, the reinstatement of President Zelaya is just one aspect of a massive demand for social justice. Honduras will never be the same.

9.13Mb 128kbps mono 10 mins

Tortilla con Sal pt.3
Toni Solo (of Tortilla con Sal Nicaraguan web magazine) analyses the 65th day of continual protest in Honduras, by hundreds of thousands of protesters almost daily. They are protesting in a non violent way, against the coup regime who abducted their legally elected President and preventing his return. Police and military repression against the non violent protesters is mounting, but going unreported in the mainstream media. The popular resistance has grown so strong that by now, the reinstatement of President Zelaya is just one aspect of a massive demand for social justice. Honduras will never be the same.

3.23Mb 128kbps mono 3:31 mins.

Tortilla con Sal pt.4
Toni Solo (of Tortilla con Sal Nicaraguan web magazine) analyses the 65th day of continual protest in Honduras, by hundreds of thousands of protesters almost daily. They are protesting in a non violent way, against the coup regime who abducted their legally elected President and preventing his return. Police and military repression against the non violent protesters is mounting, but going unreported in the mainstream media. The popular resistance has grown so strong that by now, the reinstatement of President Zelaya is just one aspect of a massive demand for social justice. Honduras will never be the same.

11.8Mb 128kbps mono 13mins
Tortilla con Sal pt.5
Toni Solo (of Tortilla con Sal Nicaraguan web magazine) analyses the 65th day of continual protest in Honduras, by hundreds of thousands of protesters almost daily. They are protesting in a non violent way, against the coup regime who abducted their legally elected President and preventing his return. Police and military repression against the non violent protesters is mounting, but going unreported in the mainstream media. The popular resistance has grown so strong that by now, the reinstatement of President Zelaya is just one aspect of a massive demand for social justice. Honduras will never be the same.

Fred Fuentes from Caracas in Venezuela gives us an update on the tense relations between Venezuela and Colombia, after a US decision to build another five major military bases in Colombia.

Sandra Cluff, one of the few independent journalists in Honduras talks about the latest wave of repression. Reportage from people on the spot.

Jose Texeira, Fretilin parliamentarian talks to community radio about the increasing defensiveness of the ruling AMP coalition on economic mismanagement and corruption. Fretilin, who were the core of the resistance in the struggle of liberation from Indonesian occupation is looking good, after a major reconfiguration of the party.

2.6Mb mono 11:25 mins

Toni Sola, of "Tortilla con Sal"   gives us an update on the situation in Honduras. The people are maintaining an unremitting resistance to the coup, and there is an emerging understanding thtat the resistance is less about the personality of 'Mel Zelaya'  (the deposed and exiled President), than the will of the people of Honduras, who are just sick and tired of the selfish, egocentric oligarcic elite who resented someone who was willing to raise the minimum wage above subsistence levels and divert a bit of tax money to education and health programs.  Meanwhile the US State Department ducks and weaves when they could stop the neo-fascists in their tracks. But that's RealPolitik, no?

2.8 Mb. 56kbps mono

Karen Spring, Canadian observer working with "Rights Action" in Honduras was on the spot, on Thursday July 30 when the military forces of the coup regime suddenly escalated the violence and repression against the tens of thousands of protestors out on the streets daily, demanding the return of their elected president, who was ousted and flown out of the country on June 28 this year.

5Mb mono 12 minutes 18 seconds

Toni Sola  of Tortilla con Sal  is actively supporting the thousands of Hondurans who are sneaking past the military blockade (and an 18 hour curfew) to support their elected President, 'Mel' Zelaya, who is challenging the de-facto government to let him re-enter his country. Hundreds of thousands of Honduran people have maintained a rage against the coup. The level of popular support for the illegally 'exiled' President has taken all by surprise, including the international community, and the people of Nicaragua. Suddenly over four thousand supporters for Zelaya have poured over the border. With the psychologically unsound levels of military repression occurring within  Honduras, they have become not only  'protestors' but also refugees. A moot point over how they will be defined in the mainstream media.  (apologies for the poor sound quality of the interview taken under difficult conditions).

13Mb. mono 128kbps 14:14mins

Toni Sola of Tortilla con Sal travelled to Las Manos with the entourage of President Zelaya when the President made an attempt to reenter Honduras from the Nicaraguan border. He was hugely impressed with the numbers of Honduran supporters of President 'Mel' Zelaya, and the efforts they made to be at the border to greet him, in defiance of a militatry bockade. Many crossed over to the Nicaraguan side of the border where it looks as though a protest 'Peace Camp' is in the process of being established.

3.11Mb. mono 128kbps 13mins 36 secs.

Toni Sola - Tortilla con Sal - telling us what it was like to be at the border between Honduras and Nicaragua while President 'Mel' Zelaya attempts to reenter his country agaisnt the wishes of the military regime that expelled him during the coup of June 28. It is a waiting game, with Zelaya supporters shutting the country down until he is reinstalled as President, while the military tries to destroy the will of the people and the popular resistance through increasing repression and militarization. Toni talks about the latest casualties of the latest wave of repression.

6Mb  6mins 37 secs.

Observer 'Toni' Sola headed up to 'Las Manos', border town between Nicaragua and Honduras where there is a a standoff between President Zelaya (elected President of Honduras) and the 'goons' of the  golpistas (the 'coup controllers' who shot down his front door and put him on a plane to Costa Rica).

More to come on the background of the coup, but interesting is Toni's encounter with the 'mainstream media' where this standoff was happening.

1.2 Mb. mono 3mins.

Israel Salinas, syndicalista y Secretario General del CUTH habla con radio communitario sobre las preparaciones del pueblo para el regreso imminente del Presidente Zelaya. El pueblo Hondureno esta movilizandose hacia la frontera con Nicaragua, pero las fuerzas armadas de los golpistas tambien estan preparandose para intentar a prevenir la llegada del presidente en su pais.

3.1Mb 32kbps. mono 13:26 minutes

Grahame Russel, human rights lawyer and spokesperson for Rights Action
is in Honduras updating us regularly on the process of the coup there. He talks about the massive outpouring of popular support for the legitimate President 'Mel' Zelaya and the belief among the mass of the people that his return is critical to the future of Honduras. Police who tried to occupy the exiled President's home were forced to withdraw when confronted with a mobilisation of people.

3.2Mb mono  32kbps     13:48 mins

Alexis, spokesperson for CISPES (Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador) tells us the story of Marcelo Rivera, a community activist who led the movement to stop Pacific Rim mining company from despoiling the countryside near a number of peasant communities in El Salvador. The manner of his death suggest involvement of elements of the ARENA party, and the local police strangely reluctant to investigate the circumstances of his disappearance and murder.

2.7Mb Mono 32kbps 11:30 mins.

Grahame Russel, human rights lawyer is in Honduras getting the real story out. The military coup, backed by the oligarchy and elite business community, has been universally condemned, but unlike Tehran the huge houtpouring of popular repudiation of the coup masters and the military, doesn't seem to be making the headlines in mainstream media.

Grahame was present last Sunday when the President of Honduras tried to fly in to return to his country after being bundled out of his residence last week by the military and put on a flight to Costa Rica. Somewhere between one hundred thousand and two hudnred thousand demonstrators turned up at the airport to see the Presidential plane land. Two were shot by the military and another four wounded. After the military placed trucks on the runway and fired shots at the plane after a low pass over the runway the landing was aborted.

He will try again on Wednesday  (Thursday Australian time). The Honduran people are mobilised, the biggest outpouring of popular power in this country since the 1950s.  Honduras is diplomatically isolated, although the US is slow to take decisive action.

17 Mb mono 37 mins

Toni covers the Honduran coup. He was there, invited as an international observer, by the Honduran government, to be an observer to a constitutionally legal poll as to whether the Honduran people wanted to have a body to study constitutional reform included in the elections of next November. The results of this study would later be put to a popular referendum.

Contrary to mistaken references in the anglo/western media that the coup was triggered by fears that he was seeking extra time in the Presidency, Zelaya was not seeking this, and had not even put his name down as a Presidencial candidate. He was actually looking forward to retirement.

Toni tracks the amazement of observers when an armed military coup interrupted the poll, and they went to the Presidential Palace, in the middle of a military media blackout, to discover that there was a mobilisation of people trying to prevent the coup non violently.

This was the script set out for the next week of events in Honduras.

7.4Mb. 100kbps mono. 12 mins

Julie Webb, journalist for "Scoop" gives us an update on the increasingly tense situation in Chiapas, particularly the harassment of the Human Rights organisation Fray Bartholome de las Casas, by Mexican government security and paramilitary forces. Chiapas peasants are living on land that the neo-conservative 'developers' want to get their hands on, and human rights organisations like 'Fray Barta' is often the only thing standing between them and outright pillage.

16MB. Mono 64kbps 34 minutes


Alexis was one of those of the CISPES delegation to see the first 'leftist' President of El Salvador take the Presidential sash after a clearly won electoral victory over the 20 year right wing corrupt regime. It was a regime, closely allied with the US Republican Party, that was founded by the author of the notorious Death Squads of the 1970s and 1980s.

The FMLN has shown a patience and tolerance above and beyond the call of duty to demonstrate its commitment as a truly democratic party to serve the people. These were people who were its base, and support during a 12 year 'civil war'.

The presence of virtually all the dignitaries of Latin America, as well as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was a tribute to that expression of popular support. Probably not much said in the mainstream 'anglo media', but to Salvadorans, and Latin America in general it was a 'date with history'.

The Americas are changing, and Alexis gives us an eyewitness account of the significance of this event in San Salvador. Not only for the dignitaries, but for the people who came to the stadium to support this initiative for a long awaited change.

Musical bands who were for many years 'illegal' arrived to pay a Latin American tribute to this 'date with history', when the popular new President arrived to address his supporters at the stadium, before the formal cocktail parties of the evening with foreign dignatories.

7Mb 128kbps.

Burke Stansbury, coordinator of CISPES (Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador) is about to fly into El Salvador to see the inauguration of the FMLN backed  President of El Salvador. The election of Mauricio Funes as President has created a sense of political turmoil ...  and hopes. Burke puts this event in perspective.

While the maggots of curruption crawl out of the carcase of the neo-fascist Arena party in El Salvador, in neighbouring Guatemala a leading lawyer has busted the President, his wife, and top officials in the biggest bank in Guatemala with a death message  - A leading Guatemalan journalist made a video of a statement by a lawyer whose clients were killed in April for their ability to directly implicate the President and his wife in money laundering, involving the  biggest bank in Guatemala.

The journalist made the video last Thursday "... If you are watching this, it is because I have been murdered... "  he was murdered on Sunday.

There are strong links between drug trafficking and neo-liberal, and neo fascist governments. Governments don't actually do 'hands on' drug trafficking, but they are essential to the money laundering required to pay the lip service to the US Drug Enforcement Agency. There are proven links between the drug traffickers, money laundering, and high officials in the Salvadoran  ARENA government that is now on the defensive after last month's presidential election victory agains them.

This news is only breaking locally, but watch this space for further revelations that are emerging in the local press, that has only recently found to the courage to publish stories of police and high level governmental corruption.

41.6Mb. 128kbps mono 45mins 54 seconds.

Felipe 'Torogoz' nos regale una narrativa, que incluye una historia muy personal, de sus experiencieas de la guerra civil de El Salvador, de como se hizo el conjunto legendario guerillero de 'Los Torogozes de Morazan', como el grupo cambio sus integrantes cuando uno por uno, varios cayeron en combate.  Y mas que todo, como se motivaron en la lucha, con experiencias que no todos enfrentaron, ni saben como enfrentar. Felipe sigue, humilde, comprometido, vive como campesino y un fuente de una historia que vive en el pueblo.

1Mb. mono 32kbps 4mins 30 secs

(Spanish language - Espanol)

Daniel (Secretario General del Sindicato) explique lo que esta pasando ahorita con el Sindicato de procesadoras de comida, y los pescadores de La Union, ciudad puertuario de El Salvador.  Hay contratos con empresas espanoles por la venta de atun. Pero tambien hay violaciones de derechos sindicales, y el gobierno ARENA-ero no esta en la onda para corregir estos atropellos de los derechos de los trabajadores y sindicalistas.

6Mb 64kbps. mono 32 kbps  25 minutes

Mayday 2009 in San Salvador - still buzzing enough to catch a 6:am bus to Morazan where I had an interview with another living legend -  Felipe 'Torogoz', the founder and songwriter for the guerilla band 'Los Torogozes de Morazan'  - Morazan being the 'liberated zone' during the Salvadoran civial war and  'Los Torogozes' being the 'official' guerilla band for  the FMLN and radio Venceremos. Felipe claims that he was 'just another guerilla' (and before the formation of the FMLN, an activist), but was coopted into forming a guerilla musical group when a Spanish journalist overheard him making up a song during a moment of relaxation by a riverside. The journalist persuaded the guerilla commandante to get Felipe to recruit a guerilla band, and the rest is history.

Felipe was a bit burnt out after doing two gigs back to back in villages over a hundred kilometres apart, to celebrate the inauguration of FMLN mayors, but we held the interview to the next day, and Felipe privileged community radio with an impromptu performance of the first song he ever wrote.

Oh ... and quite by chance, wandering around the village before my interview with Felipe, I came across a 'garage band' who turned out to be the sons and daughters of ex-combatants   - in fact, the lead singer turned out to be Felipe's son!

22Mb 96kbps stereo

(English commentary, some Spanish content)

Mayday in San Salvador ... a very different Mayday from years before when marches were attacked with bombs, buzzed by helicopters and had to take measures to protect themselves. An FMLN backed Presidential candidate won the Presidential elections on March 15. It was the first defeat for the right wing ARENA party(founded by the Death Squad runner, Roberto D'Aubuisson) in twenty years. The people are jubilant, but most importantly, they were allowed to march in fairly peaceful conditions after forty years of heavy repression - when still they marched. El Salvador has always featured some of the most solidly supported Mayday marches in the world.

Mayday in San Salvador ... a very different Mayday from years before (and FMLN backed Presidential candidate won the Presidential elections on March 15. It was the first defeat for the right wing ARENA  party(founded by the Death Squad runner, Roberto D'Aubuisson) in twenty years. The people are jubilant, but most importantly, they were allowed to march in fairly peaceful conditions after forty years of heavy repression. And still they marched.

Warwick Fry compares his experiences of the Mayday marches of the 1970s and the the 1980s with this year's march of 2009, at a time when an FMLN President is about to step into the  administration of the country after a convincing vote of support from the FMLN. The neoliberal neofascist ARENA party still has a strong grip on the legal system, but it is being challenged with the prospect of a President who is not a puppet of  those interests. He has a hard walk ahead of him.

71 Mb 320kbps. Stereo

Mayday in San Salvador ... a very different Mayday from years before when marches were attacked with bombs, buzzed by helicopters and had to take measures to protect themselves. An FMLN backed Presidential candidate won the Presidential elections on March 15. It was the first defeat for the right wing ARENA party(founded by the Death Squad runner, Roberto D'Aubuisson) in twenty years. The people are jubilant, but most importantly, they were allowed to march in fairly peaceful conditions after forty years of heavy repression - when still they marched. El Salvador has always featured some of the most solidly supported Mayday marches in the world.

Mayday in San Salvador ... a very different Mayday from years before (and FMLN backed Presidential candidate won the Presidential elections on March 15. It was the first defeat for the right wing ARENA  party(founded by the Death Squad runner, Roberto D'Aubuisson) in twenty years. The people are jubilant, but most importantly, they were allowed to march in fairly peaceful conditions after forty years of heavy repression. And still they marched.

Warwick Fry compares his experiences of the Mayday marches of the 1970s and the the 1980s with this year's march of 2009, at a time when an FMLN President is about to step into the  administration of the country after a convincing vote of support from the FMLN. The neoliberal neofascist ARENA party still has a strong grip on the legal system, but it is being challenged with the prospect of a President who is not a puppet of  those interests. He has a hard walk ahead of him.

30.5 Mb. stereo 34 minutes

(Espanol)
Jorge Schafik Handal es un diputado del Parlamento CentroAmericano, y un representado del FMLN y El Salvador. Es hijo del Commandante Revolucionario Schafik Handal quien conducio el movimiento guerillo hacia un partido politico.  Jorge habla de como el Partido se esta adaptando al manejo de un Estado nuevo  - que tiene un Presidente eligido por el apoyo del Partido FMLN. Projectos politicas hacia el futuro ... vamos a ver ...

(Jorge Schafik Handal is one of the Salvadoran representatives of the Central American Parliament. He is the son of one of the key leaders of the guerilla movement, who led the FMLN into Parliamentary representation after fighting the military opposition into a standstill. He talks with us about the victory of a President who is supported by the FMLN  - and what this represents  -  a new hope for those who see a defeat of a corrupt neoliberal government as an opening to a new future. Jorge recognises the problems looming, But he has strong faith in the Salvadoran people).

18.5 Mb. 128kbps (stereo) 20:53 mins.

(Espanol/Spanish language)

Luis Corvera es el diputado de Santa Ana, elegido por la tercera vez a La Asemblea Nacional de El Salvador. Con esta entrevista el explica la politica del FMLN sobre la tema de seguridad publico, relaciones (pasado y futuro) entre las Fuerzas Armadas y el FMLN, cambios en la cultura de las Fuerzas Armadas, y la tema de impunidad, y la Ley de Amnistia.

(Luis Alberto Corvera is the FMLN representative for Santa Ana who was reelected for his third term on the Salvadoran Legislative Assembly in the recent elections. He speaks with community radio about the position of the FMLN on issues of public security, at a time when gangs and organised crime are a growing problem in El Salvador. While the armed forces (police and military) and the FMLN were traditional enemies, the signing of the Peace Accords in 1992 brought about significant changes in the Police culture. He talks about the relationship of the FMLN with the Armed Forces, and about the FMLN's position on the still sensitive issue of impunity, and the Amnesty Law for those guilty of Human Rights violations).

23Mb 320 Kbps 10 minutes

Santiago - as he is still known - was one of the key people in the development of the FMLN's guerilla Radio Venceremos. He now manages the Museum of Word and Image, which is building an archive of the popular struggle in El Salvador, so that those histories are not lost. He talks with Australian community radio about the role of alternative media in El Salvador today.

9.8Mb. 128 Kbps stereo  10:26mins

Atilio Vasquez Diaz, un ex-combatiente y miembro del equipo del Radio Venceremos habla de las difficultades de muchos integrantes de la guerilla, para incorpoarse en la vida civil, despues de la firma de los Acuerdos de Paz, 1992. Muchos que se integraron con la guerilla como muy jovenes, campesinos analfabetos (aunque apprendieron en la guerilla) no tenian los habilidades para entrar con facilidad en la vida civil. Atilio fue a Mexico para apprender el manejo de film y video, pero no era facil a accostombrarse a una vida muy differente.

7.5 Mb 128kbps stereo 7 Mins 40secs.

(Spanish/Espanol)

El 'Santiago' (Carlos Enrique Consalvi) ... uno de las personas claves en el desarollo del radio guerillero "Venceremos" - habla sobre los medios de communicacion populares y alternativas en El Salvador 20 anos despues. Ahora trabaja en el Museo de Palabra y Imagenes como otro medio de mantener la memoria de las luchas populares. Y hace su proprio commentario sobre los medios de communicacion en El Salvador de hoy.

(Santiago - as he is still known - was one of the key people in the development of the FMLN's guerilla Radio Venceremos. He now manages the Museum of Word and Image, which is building an archive of the popular struggle in El Salvador, so that those histories are not lost. He talks with Australian community radio about the role of alternative media in El Salvador today).

22.4 MB. 128 Kbps. Stereo 24:18 minutes

(Espanol)

Entrevista con tres integrantes del sindicato de Periodistas Salvadorenos 'SINPESS'. Ivan Escobar, Daniel Trujillo, y Emilia.  Trabajan con el Periodico independiente,  'Diario Co-Latino' pero el sindicato incluye muchos periodistas de los otros medios, y defendien los derechos de libertad de expresion de periodistas, y ademas derechos laborales. Muchos periodistas y trabajadores y trabajadoras Salvadorenos son graduados de cursos Universitarios Salvadorenos. Para asegurar una prensa mas libre, se necessitan estos graduados de carerra un sindicato fuerte, y que el periodismo no sea dominado por gestiones de lucre. Hay esperanzas de que el nuevo gobierno puede facilitar el trabajo del sindicato.

23.1Mb. 128kbps stereo  24:31mins  (Espanol)

Jorge Jimenez, diputado electo a la Asamblea Nacional de El Salvador esta encargado con la reforma electoral, para prevenir elecciones futuras intentados de fraude, y para incrementar la transparencia del proceso democratico. Tambien habla de los problemas anticipado, y la trayectoria del FMLN despues 1ero de Junio. Aclara la posicion del FMLN sobre gestiones tan importantes como la impunidad (La ley de Amnistia) y justicia para las victimas de la violaciones de sus derechos humanos.

(Jorge Jimenez is one of the newly elected representatives of the FMLN to the Legislative Assembly, and has been given the responsibility for Electoral Reform  - much needed after the attempts by the governing party to alter the results reflecting the popular will. He outlines measures to make the electoral process, and democratic processes more transparent. He also takes time to indicate some of the problems the new government will be encountering, the direction the FMLN is likely to take, and the position of the party on important issues like 'impunity' for human rights abuses that have occurred in the past, stressing the importance of justice and compensation for the victims over the need to punish the perpetrators.)

(English voiceover) 17Mb 320 kbps  stereo ( hey! Hifi for reproduction!)
Journalism - Salvadoran style

Tough biddies (still sparking strong) and young enthusiasts are out there doing tough journalism in a tough country. Theres  gonzo, and there is survivalist in the world of journalism. There are broadsheets and pamphlets in El Salvador, but we are talking to journalists the more mature ones) who have survived journalism in a Civil War, and others, from the  younger generation who see the point.

El Diario Co-Latino is the end product of  a newspaper that has been bombed, bankrupted,  set on fire, and generally persecuted. It has also been the training ground of young journalists who are not prepared to sell out to financial interests, graduates from the National University of El Salvador, that has refused to sell out to neo-liberal interests. There are over 50 'private' universities in San Salvador  many of them controlled byformer military officers of the former regime - a retirement break for US accredited generals and colonels who have been afforded 'impunity' for their role in gross human rights violations. Remains to be seen if the new government can reconstruct the neoliberal 'plantation', or whether the Universities can still generate a critical, committed, and honest journalist.

7.9 Mb 128kbps. 8 mins.
(Español)

Periodistas del Diario Co-Latino hablan de lost intentos de reprimir o destruirlo en las decadas pasadas. Victima de incendios (dos veces) bombas, y bancarrota, sobrevivio por los esfuerzos y el sentido de comprimiso de los trabajadores y periodistas, quienes, a veces trabajaron sin sueldo y durmieron en el piso del edificio, que hasta esta dia, parece una granja. Emilia Piñeda y Ivan Escobar cuentan las experiencias.

(English voiceover to follow  - The independent daily newspaper El Diario Co-Latino has a history that goes back over 100 years. In the last half century it has been burned down twice, bombed once and gone bankrupt twice. It has survived through the support of its readers and the commitment of the print workers and journalists who at times worked without pay to keep the paper solvent, often sleeping on the floor of the building, which to this day, looks like a huge barn.)

18 Mb. stereo 128kbps 18:18
(Spanish language)

Entrevista con Gregorio, Secretaria General del STIPES. Gregorio cuenta las condiciones de trabajo inhumanos, impuesto por el Gobierno de ARENA desde una intervencion militar en Enero 2001, sobre los trabajadores Portuarios de Acajutla.

14Mb 128kbps. Stereo 15:10 minutes

(Shortened interview with English voice-over by Warwick Fry)

(Note: This is a stereo recording with the English voice-over in the right hand channel. If the Spanish language background is too loud or distracting it can be faded down by turning up the right channel and fading down the left channel. Spanish speakers might want to do the opposite)

Meeting Gregorio from the Salvadoran Dockworkers Union (STIPES) was an unforgettable experience. Gregorio quietly and matter of factly exposes the Dickensian conditions imposed on Salvadoran wharf laborers since a military intervention in 2001 - supposedly to improve Port security after September 11 in New York, but in reality to break up the 40 year old dockworkers Union and force the wharf workers to work under a 'contract' system that yields them at best US$36 a month. Gregorio's account is a quietly understated expose of the true nature of the ARENA government that has run El Salvador for the last 20 years. Gregorio is cautiously optimistic that the new government which comes into power on June 1st might offer some change in the horrendous working conditions of these men.

27.1 Mb. 128kbps stereo 30mins.

An eyewitness account of election day in San Salvador. As an accredited international observer Warwick Fry spent 15 hours at a voting centre recording his impressions, then followed the massive 6 hour street party that erupted as the results were announced, declaring a convincing FMLN victory.

16.5Mb. 128kbps mono 18:06 mins

North American Nestor, and Australian Nick Everett recall Sunday March 15 2009, the sweeping FMLN electoral victory (in spite of attempts at fraud) and their experience as international observers of the tense ballot. They assess what this significant and historic result could mean for El Salvador, both regionally, and internationally.

10.2 Mb 128kbps. mono 12 minutos

Enrevista entera con Martin de la CSTS (Confederacion Syndical de Trabajadores Salvadorenos). Martin explica la politica del nuevo gobierno FMLNista sobre cambios en la ley de Amnistia  por violaciones de derechos humanos.

4.2 Mb 128kbps. mono 5 mins

Juan Campos is a Salvadoran who spent two years in prison and was tortured in the early 1980s. He was rescued by Australia´s special humanitarian program and has lived in Australia ever since. Juan was one of the 15 Australian´s who came to El Salvador to observe the critical Presidential elections. He explains to community radio what these elections mean to Salvadorans, and people like himself.

7.9 Mb 128kbps mono 11mins

The day before the elections a group of Australian volunteers met at one of the FMLN headquarters to prepare themselves for their role of international mobservers. Many of them were Salvadorans who had been forced to emigrate to Australia as political refugees, in the 1980s. They were keen to be present at a time when the ARENA `party, founded by the people responsible for their forced exile had to face an electoral defeat.

Ovidio Orellanos is a Guatemalan by birth. The death squads of El Salvador modelled themselves on a similar movement in Guatemala, called ¨The White Hand¨. Ovidio tells us what these elections mean to him.

6.4 Mb 128kbps mono 6 mins

(Spanish Language  - en Espanol)

(note: the picture is of a political bill board. The ARENA government has a billboard that says ¨Vote wisely¨ Although the FMLN has limited resources compared to ARENA they spend it with surgical precision. The billboard above, on one side says ¨Vote wisely¨and on the other side ¨would you vote for an ex-cop? The ARENA Presidential candidate is the former head of the National Police, and Director of Intelligence)

Interview with companero Martin of the CSTS (Union Confederation of Salvadoran Workers, or Confederation Syndical de Trabajadores Salvadorenos). The CSTS is one of the biggest Union confederations with 23 Unions as members. Martin talks about the policyof the FMLN on the Amnesty Law that was part of the 1992 Peace accord, granting amnesty for those who committed atrocities during the civil war. The FMLN believes that the ARENA government has reneged on its side of the agreement, with political assasinations on the rise, and plans to change the Amnesty law if they come to power in the elections this weekend  (March
15).

Martin es un dirigernt del CSTS, uno de los syndicatos mas grandes de El Salvador. El habla sobre la politica del FMLN a proposito de la ley de Amnistia, que regala impunidad a los que siguen cometiendo violaciones de derechos humanos y civiles.

30Mb 128kbps stereo 30 mins

A strange mix of tension and exuberance in the days leading up to the Presidential elections in El Salvador on Sunday March 15. A number of Australian observers are here, including a team of Australian Salvadorans who were forced to seek refugee status in Australia at the height of the civil war of the 1980s. There are high hopes that this election will close that chapter of Salvadoran history for once and for all, but there are fears too, that this government, one of the last bastions of the ultra right and fascism remaining in Latin America, will not lose gracefully. Walking around the streets of San Salvador Latin Radical producer, Warwick Fry, bumps into Jim McIlroywraith and Coral Winter, who flew over to El Salvador from Venezuela. In Warwick´s hotel room, they discuss their experiences and their view of events here in San Salvador, including the 300,000 strong rally in support of FMLN candidate Mauricio Funes, last Sunday.

13.6 Mb. 129 kbps mono 15 mins.

The Venezuelan people established another benchmark this month by approving a constitutional amendment in a popular plebiscite that removes the two term restriction on candidates for political office. While this has been trumpeted in the US and conservative media as an attempt by popular President Hugo Chavez to make himself 'President for Life', nothing could be further from the truth. As Lara Pullin points out, the Australian, French, and the constitutions of a number of other countries allow for indefinite re-election (as opposed to 'appointment') of politicians (witness the Mezies years) so it is hard to see what the fuss is about. Lara tells us what this means to the Venezuelan people and why they voted the way they did in the referendum.

12.4Mb. 128kbps mono 13:33 mins.

Burke Stansbury of CISPES is on the line from Washington with and update on the upcoming Presidential race on March 15 in El Salvador. CISPES is sending a team of 60 observers in an attempt to prevent the ARENA party's attempts at electoral fraud, that marked the January Municipal and Legislative Assembly elections. There are fears that ARENA will stop at nothing to win, in spite of a commanding lead by the opposition FMLN in the popularity stakes.

CISPES is trying to pressure the US government and the new Obama administration to negate the propaganda fear campaign by ARENA claiming that an FMLN electoral victory will lead to 'punishment' by the US.

5.9Mb. 128kbps mono 6:26mins.

Amanda Peters, CISPES
5.9Mb. 128kbps mono 6:26mins.

Amanda Peters, CISPES observer of the El Salvadoran elections brings us an update on the latest developments. Two of the presidential candidates have been persuaded to drop out, after a bit of arm twisting by the ARENA party, in the hope that it will combine the vote against the FMLN (looking like an outright winner, according to the polls). The tactic seems to have backfired with the minority (dropout) parties committing votes to the FMLN, resenting the standover tactics of ARENA.

Still there are fears of ARENA pulling more dirty tactics out of the hat. The Electoral Tribunal seems to be set on ignoring the vote stacking and buying, the importation of fake voters, and an unwillingness to address the issue of outdated electoral rolls. The March 15 elections are volatile, and reports will follow.

12Mb 128kbps mono 12 minutes

James Dunn, former diplomat and policy advisor comments on the release of Australian security files under the 30 year rule, that confirms Australia's collusion with Indonesia in the takeover of Timor Leste during the period when Indonesia was carrying out near genocidal, serial, human rights abuses. Jim suggests that Australia should share with Indonesia, some of the accountability for the horrific crimes committed at that time.

12.2Mb 128kbps mono 13:21 minutes

Burke Stansbury from the Washington office of CISPES gives us an update on the situation in El Salvador. After numerous documented irregularities in the January round (Municipal and Legislative Assembly elections) the lead up to the Presidential race is becoming tense. Faced with the ARENA governing party's huge financial backing of a media scare campaign, the FMLN has countered with people power  - mobilising tens of thousands of supporters in a massive doorknocking campaign. Trailing the FMLN candidate by more than ten points in the polls, ARENA has pressured two of the Presidential candidates of the minor parties to withdraw, and there are fears that ARENA, known as the "Death Squad" party will resort to more dangerous tactics yet, to claw back their former power.

9.6Mb. 128kbps mono 10:28mins

As this goes to air Salvadorans are breathlessly waiting the final count on the vote for the Mayor of El Salvador  - a surprisingly close result given that the FMLN incumbent Mayor was leading in the polls and ARENA was trailing. It now looks as though the ARENA candidate has a chance, and the surprise result feeds a widely held belief that ARENA has resorted to fraudulent tactics in a desperate bid to win.

The good news for the FMLN is that it appears they have won a majority of seats in the Legislative Assembly, in spite of the fraudulent tactics of the ARENA government candidates. Amanda Blake was on the spot as an official observer, and as part of a delegation from CISPES (Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador). She spoke with community radio as the first results started coming in, and gives her nervous prognosis for the Presidential round coming up on March 15

19.1 Mb 128kbps 21 mins

(Spanish language).  Julie Webb interviews the victim of police repression in Mexico. A harrowing account of harassment, human rights violations, and fascistic reactions to those who are willing and prepared to take a stance for human dignity and justice.

19.14.4Mb 128kbps mono   21mins

(Interview in Spanish) Julie Webb interviews Norma Jiminez, one of the women who was arrested and imprisoned by Mexican police during anti-government demonstrations in Oaxaca. She suffered systematic torture and violation of her human rights.

11.2 Mb mono 128kbps 12:18 mins

Julie Webb was on the spot in Chiapas, southern Mexico, when Sub Commandante Marcos broke a two year silence to address a Zapatista community. Among other things he condemns the Israeli attack on Gaza. Three Latin American countries have already expelled the Israeli Ambassador from their country in protest.

17.3 Mb  128kbps mono 18 mins

Burke Stansbury from the Washington office of CISPES talks with community radio about the first round of the El Salvadoran elections  - Legislative and Municipal - to be held on January 17, 2009. Burke has is able to report that the chances of an FMLN victory (supported by a 10 to 15 point lead in the polls over the last year) are looking good, with the voting population shrugging off the scare tactics of the ARENA party's media blitz.  There are still fears though, that ARENA, with a history of using violence, intimidation and terror (the founder of ARENA was also the head of the notorious Death Squads of the 1980s) may resort to more drastic tactics, before the Presidential elections in March. There is a loud call from the opposition FMLN party for international observers to be there to ensure the integrity of the elections.

4.6 Mb 128kbps mono 5mins.

Shona Hawkes of the La'o Hamutuk research organisation talks from Dili with community radio about the status of the ISF (Australian troop forces) presence in Timor Leste. When first sent to Timor Leste by the Howard government they were given virtual diplomatic immunity. La'o Hamutuk has recently submitted a report to the Australian government that suggests their status should be changed to include some kind of accountability.

13.6 Mb 128 kbps mono 13:52mins

Jim Dunn was one of the observers of the 1999 plebiscite in Timor Leste when the Indonesian military unleashed a wave of devastation and murder against the Timorese people. Those responsible have still not been brought to account, thanks largely to the attitude of the Australian government. The ABC's program on "The Howard Years" skims over this aspect of the Howard administration's effect on Timor Leste. John Howard claims much of the credit for Timor becoming independent of Indonesia, but the true story is that Timorese independence was the last thing on his mind. Observers like Jim Dunn find the ABC's treatment of this aspect of the Howard Years disappointing, to say the least.

25.5 Mb 128 kbps mono 28 mins

Fred Fuentes reports from Caracas on the regional election results this November in Venezuela ('State' Governers, and Mayors). While the 'Chavista' VSUP increased its' total vote, the right wing opposition clawed back two State governorships, and a key Mayoral position in Metropolitan Caracas (Venezuela's capital).

Fred points out that a strong push by the right wing parties and candidates has have failed in a strategy to undermine the pro Chavez government and its program, serving mainly to eliminate some of the weaker elements in the administration.

It has also served to show up the fascistic tendencies of the opposition, with the opposition Mayors and Governors attempting to dismantle some of the facilities of the grass roots organisations (like a community youth TV channel) within days of winning their seats.

This hints at some future confrontations between the back and forward looking sectors of Venezuelan society.

9.2 Mb 128 kbps mono 10 mins.

Burke Stansbury from CISPES talks about the move to extradite former ARENA president of El Salvador, Cristiani, along with 14 others to be put on trial for their responsibility in Human Rights violations. The best known of these is  the massacre of 6 Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter, nineteen years ago. This could have serious implications for ARENA's prospects in next year's elections. While the extradition order is being considered by a Spanish court, protesters in the US are demonstrating outside the US training camp where the Salvadoran Atlacatl battalion, notorious for this and other brutal massacres, were trained. The Atlacatl battalion was also responsible for the massacre of El Mozote, where an entire village was wiped out.

3Mb 128 kbps mono 3:05 mins

Fred Fuentes from Caracas  - The Australian brigade.

9.4 Mb. 128 kbps mono 10:15 mins

Fred Fuentes reports on developments and possible outcomes of this month's regional and state elections in Venezuela.

8Mb 128 kbps. mono 8:40mins

Burke Stansbury from CISPES reports that a number of former high ranking military and a former President of El Salvador and leader of the ARENA party may be extradited to Spain to be tried for crimes and human rights violations during El Salvador's civil war.

11.5Mb 128kbps mono 12:36mins

Fretilin threatens to withdraw from Parliament.


Timor remembers the Santa Cruz massacre, while human rights discussion is sidelined. Like a lot of debate on critical issues in the Parliament of Timor Leste. Jose Teixeira explains why the opposition Fretilin party is contemplating a walkout, with some members of the government AMP coalition.Jose is deeply concerned that a recent legal decision is not being taken seriously by the current government.

8mb 128kbps mono 8:43 mins

Timor remembers the Santa Cruz massacre, while human rights discussion is sidelined.

23 Mb 128kbps. mono   25:10  mins

Fretilin Parliamentarian Jose Teixeira talks about former Fretilin Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri's recent Australian tour and some of the successful outcomes. He discusses issues being debated in Timor Leste at the moment, some of them quite disturbing  - like the approval in principle by the AMP government for a Club Med type development on environmentally protected wetlands, and the huge biofuel project for an Indonesian company.

12.6Mb 128kbps mono 13:51 mins

Burke Stansbury of CISPES gives us an update on the pre-election situation in El Salvador. The governing ARENA party is showing signs of strain, with a contorversial vice presidential candidate selected in the face of increasingly unfavorable polls. At the same time they are stepping up the 'dirty' propaganda campaign against the FMLN.

12.5Mb 128 kbps mono 13:32

Nimbin Community Radio 2NimFM caught this exclusive interview with Mari Alkatiri when he was in Australia to talk about his vision for Timor Leste as a potential bridge for Asian, Pacific, and Western cultures. Timor Leste is unusually well placed for this role historically, culturally, and linguisticly, having kept its' unique identity through successive waves of colonisation by the Portugese, invasion by the Japanese in WWII, and occupation by the Indonesians in 1970s and 1990s.

Here is the first four minutes of his well received presentation at the Australian National University. Following is an exclusive ten minute interview with community radio 2NimFM just before Mari Alkatiri's meeting with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. Mari fields questions about the need for justice for the people of Timor Leste, the controversial Peace March, now deferred because of the threats of repression from the current Prime Minister, and a broad outline of how the Fretilin Party (of which he is the General Secretary) is organised.  Fretilin  ranks are open to the younger generation, which is strongly represented in the party organisation.

      Finally, Mari briefly comments on his own role in the Fretilin party.

7.9Mb. 128kbps. mono 8:32 mins.

Part 3 of 3

Fred Fuentes, back from two weeks in Bolivia talks about renewed power to the people and the popular organisations, after the Morales government survived the crisis of last September. Bolivian society showing new openings and seeking new ways forward.

10Mb 128kbps mono 11 minutes.

Part 2 of 3

Fred Fuentes in Caracas, just back from Bolivia after two weeks of assessing post-crisis Bolivia. In this section he talks about the new strengths of the Morales government, from the popular social organisations, and support from other Latin American nations. The US and the right are caught on the back foot. US influence in the region has been significantly weakened, with many regions refusing to accept US aid money.

12.2Mb 128kbps. mono 13:19 mins.

Part 1.
Fred Fuentes returns to Caracas after two weeks in Bolivia assessing the situation there after the attempted right wing coup last month. Morales seems to have outmanouevred the ultra-right's attempts to unseat him and appears to have made his own position stronger, while his enemies are in disarray. He is so confident of his support in the popular social movements now that he is holding another referendum next month.

10Mb 128kbps mono 10:26 mins

With the onset of the Wall Street crash, Venezuela invited 40 political economists to Caracas, to debate the crisis and propose alternatives. The conference titled ‘Responses from the South to the Global Economic Crisis’. Chaired by Venezuela’s Planing and Development Minister Haiman El Troudi and Luis Bonilla from the Centro Internacional Miranda, the group presented papers and debated for four days, before presenting the Venezuelan Government with a joint statement.

Dr. Tim Anderson was one of the Political Economists invited an he spoke to Nimbin Community Radio 2Nim FM about how the Latin American countries are preparing for the imminent world recession. Unlike the more developed nations Latin American countries are investing in the social and public sector rather than bailing out the private sector, to buffer themselves from the Wall Street meltdown.

16Mb. 128kbps mono 17:12 minutes

Burke Stansbury talks about the CISPES attendance at the Social Forum of the Americas in Guatemala recently, where representatives from Latin American countries discussed the meltdown of the US financial system. The recent gains of social organisations and movements could well be a buffer for those who will be most affected by recession, but historically such gains have brought on a backlash by entrenched interests. The establishment by the US of an International Law Enforcement Academy in El Salvador has seen a corresponding increase in the number of disappearances and extra-judicial murders and assassinations of individuals involved in social movements and the opposition party FMLN, and there is a strange reluctance to allow outsiders to see the curriculum or the teaching methods. ILEAs have been set up in a number of key Latin American countries, and are seen as a replacement for the notorious US based School of the Americas, which was closed down in the 90s due to its association with the training of some of Latin America's worst military dictatorships, and the teaching of 'death squad' methods.

10Mb 128kbps mono 10 mins 10:40mins.

Coral Winter talks about the launch of a book she has co-authored with Jim MacIlroy based on their experiences of a year spent in  Venezuela, and some 400 interviews they conducted with people involved in the grass roots activities that are building the new Venezuela

2.4 Mb. 128 kbps mono 2:40mins

Jose Teixeira - extract from longer interview. Jose answers the question about the likely effects of the US financial crisis on the economy and general stability of Timor Leste.

13.3 Mb 128kbps mono 14:43mins

Jose Teixeira, Fretilin Parliamentarian talks about the last week in the Parliament of Timor Leste, when a rebuke was delivered by the leader of the Fretilin team.  He goes on to explain the latest rumblings in the National Police of Timor Leste, and the mistakes made earlier that have generated the current tensions.

(Note: Sound quality in this segment is good)

7Mb 128kbps mono   7:30 mins

Jose talks about a proposed Peace March to highlight some of the issues troubling Timor Leste, and ominous threats to suppress it from the Prime Minister.

(Note: Sound quality is patchy)

9.2Mb. 128kbps mono 10 mins

Lara Pullin with the latest update on the lead up to El Salvador's elections next year. As the FMLN continues to outstrip the governing ARENA coalition in the polls, the government politicians are resorting to more and more desperate tactics. Recently the foreign minister for El Salvador argued in the US for the kind of intervention used just a few years ago to swing the results in favour of the ARENA coalition. The US Ambassador in El Salvador assured a visiting delegation that the US did not intend to intervene again, but with the ARENA foreign minister lobbying furiously in the US, anything could happen.

[Picture: Schafik Handel, FMLN leader and Presidential candidate in the 2004 elections that he narrowly lost. Some say it was stolen from him. Although he died recently, his charisma remains.]

Pat 1 of 3

12.4Mb 128kbps. mono  13:35mins

Dr. Francisco Dominguez, from the Department of Latin American and Brazilian studies of Middleton University in London was on the phone to community radio 2NimFM with some of the details, and the background of the events in Bolivia over the last few weeks, and the implications of some of the latest developments. On September 11 (the anniversary of the 1973 coup in Chile) President Evo Morales expelled the US Ambassador for his role in encouraging violence and racist thuggery led by prominent avowedly right wing public figures in resource rich regions. These figures are leading a drive to 'break away' from the central government of Bolivia, but their tactics include violence, burning, looting, destruction of radio stations that don't support their agenda, and racist vilification and public humiliation of indigenous people. The last straw was a genocidal shooting down of scores of unarmed indigenous people who had gathered in protest against the racially motivated violence.

Part 2 of 3.

8.3Mb. 128kbps mono 9 minutes.

In the second part of this interview, Dr. Francisco Dominguez talks about the regional implications, and the implications for Latin America, of the coup attempt in Bolivia. A surprising number of Latin American countries have rallied in support of the President Evo Morales' central government, and have rejected US interference in Latin American affairs  -  including governments that in the past have been traditionally aligned with the US administration. Far from 'dividing and ruling' the coup attempt in Bolivia has rallied almost all of Latin America in a united front. It is an historic first, with some far reaching long term effects that at this stage, can only be guessed at by most Western observers. The role of Venezuela, which has broken the political stranglehold on its economic autonomy has been critical.

Part 3 of 3.
6.43Mb  128kbps. mono 7mins

In the final part of this interview Dr. Dominguez talks about the reasons President Morales called in the military, declaring martial law, only as a last resort. He explains some of the background of the military and its role in Bolivia's turbulent history.

11 Mb. 128Kbps mono 12:05mins

Lara updates us on the looming elections next year in El Salvador. A double barrelled election with the regional and state elections separated by less than a month from the Presidential election in March. The governing party ARENA has already tried to change electoral law to prevent international observers arriving  - an important issue when it is understood that El Salvador does not have the equivalent of a domestic organization to oversee  elections. Perhaps it has something to do with the commanding, and growing lead of popular support for the opposition FMLN.

9.5Mb 128kbps mono  10:19 mins.

Tim Anderson, lecturer in Political Economy at Sydney University has researched land tenure and ownership in the South Pacific, Latin America, and more recently, Timor Leste. He published a report about the implications of an Indonesian Biofuel project the AMP government signed onto. He cites pressures on the government of Timor Leste to change the Constitution allowing foreigners to buy and sell land in Timor Leste. Some of Timor's political leaders appear to be wavering in their original intent to keep Timorese soil in Timorese hands. And is it just coincidence that USAID and AUSAID have recently launched a US$500,000 project to establish who owns what land in Timor Leste? Traditional communal ownership of land could suffer in the growing push for privatisation. Traditional communal ownership of land could suffer in the growing push for privatisation, as well as the population's drive for self sufficiency in the face of growing costs in basic foods world wide - largely as a result of multinational corporations turning  land over to the production of food crops to biofuels.

15.1 128kbps mono 16:34 mins

One of the legacies left by the former Indonesian occupation of Timor Leste was an increased level of crime and corruption. Jose Texeira talks to community radio about an incremental increase in the levels of semi-organised crime, especially since the 'troubles' of 2006. President Jose Ramos Horta had also expressed growing disquiet about the level, and the nature of crime in Timor Leste and was taking steps to initiate an enquiry, but his initiatives were interrupted by the attempt on his life last February 11.

(Note, sound quality is poor)

9.5Mb. 128kbps mono 9:50 mins

Julie Webb, independent journalist, and reporter for Scoop has spent several years reporting from Latin America, including Cuba. Julie brings home to us the horrific impact of two hurricanes on Cuba (under reported in mainstream media) and the effects on the lives of the Cuban people, how they are responding, and some aspects of the international reaction to the reports.

13.7Mb. 128kbps 15mins

Pt2

In this second part of a three part interview, Julie Webb, freelance journalist and reporter for Scoop talks about the frustration of the Cuban government in trying to deal with the effects of two hurricanes that have devastated the country, while still under the restrictions of the US economic embargo. Even lifting the illegal embargo for six months, would make a world of difference to the Cuban people, and their efforts to recover from the aftermath of the hurricane, far more than 'gifts' of food and materials would. Julie describes the history of the illegal blockade, and its long term effects on Cuba and its people.

11.2Mb 129kbps mono  12:14mins
Pt 3
Part 3 of a three part interview with Julie Webb, independent journalist and correspondent for Scoop. Much of Cuba looks like ground zero on a nuclear strike. She describes in graphic detail how this hurricane is like no other. Where to go if you want to assist. (Australia Cuba Friendship Society), and what else is happening in the region.

16.1Mb 128kbps. mono  17:36mins

On the anniversary, almost to the day of the coup against Salvador Allende in Chile on September 11 19793, right wing forces in Bolivia attempted to seize control of the country in a Civil coup against the elected government of Evo Morales. At the time of this interview 18 people had been killed by the right wing gangs, hundreds of indigenous people badly beaten by the racist youth group, and the US Ambassador expelled for his complicity in organising the thuggery.
The Venezuelan government expelled the US Ambassador in sympathy, and for his part in coordinating opposition figures in an attempt to take over the government of Venezuela, and other Latin American nations have declared their support for the governments of Bolivia and Venezuela. Latin America is in the process of declaring its autonomy from the 200 year hegemony of the United States in controlling its affairs.
Lara Pullin gives us the details of the event of this historic week in world history.

5.4 Mb 128kbps. mono 5:46mins
Part 1.
Julie Webb correspondent for 'Scoop' from Latin America gives us the background history of five Cubans who have spent ten years in a US prison for the simple act of passing on information about expatriate Cuban terrorist cells in Florida and Miami. These remnants of the Batista regime of the 1960s, who fled to the US when Castro's revolutionary forces came to power have not been able to accept the historical reality of the Cuban revolution, and continue to plot  and plan a comeback. They have been responsible for numerous deaths and plots not only in Cuba, but in the US. The FBI responded to this information by imprisoning the people who (perhaps naively) passed the compromising information about these terrorist cells on. Ten years later they are still in gaol. Julie Webb reports.

5.3Mb 128kbps 5:45 mins

The background on the Cuban expatriate 'mafia'  - the criminals who left Cuba when Castro's revolutionary forces came to power and were forced to abandon the mafia backed rackets in gambling, prostitution and drugs. They want it back, and their influence in the US political system has meant that the Cuban Five are victims of 'payback'. And the US justice system in Florida is happy to go along with it.

6.8Mb 128kbps mono   7:25
Part 3.
Julie Webb correspondent for 'Scoop' explains the inordinate influence that the Miami Cuban expatriate 'mafia' have on the US political system, resulting in the perversion of justice for the 'Cuban Five' now spending their tenth year in gaol. She outlines the repudiation and disappointment with the US justice system both domestically and internationally, with high profile identities delivering a petition and five people being arrested in a huge demonstration to demand justice for the Cuban Five. The travesty of justice is significantly harming respect for the US and its' political integrity.

20Mb. 128kbps mono  21:48mins

Jose Teixeira is an MP for the Fretilin party in Timor Leste. He was also involved in the negotiations with Australia in the 'Timor Gap' treaty, as the deputy Minister for National Resources. He spoke to community radio 2NimFM on the tricky subject of Australia allowing 'guest worker' visas to East Timorese nationals. The Australian government recently passed legislation to allow  temporary work visas to Pacific Islanders. A similar arrangement for 'guest workers' from Timor Leste is still pending. Jose presents the East Timorese side of the difficulties involved in the scheme.

9.9Mb. 128kbps mono  10:45mins

Burke Stansbury of CISPES (Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador) talks with 2NimFM from Washington about the general swing to the left in the Central American region, which could impact upon the elections in El Salvador next year.

16.7 Mb 128kbps mono  17:49mins

Lara Pullin, Latin American solidarity activist has breaking news from El Salvador. The FMLN opposition party is confident enough of its popular support, and its chances of winning next years election, that they have tabled legislation repealing the 'amnesty law', granting impunity to those accused of gross human rights violations and war crimes, during the 12 year civil war. The law was passed in 1993 as part of the 1992 'Accord' that marked the end of the civil war.
Repeal of the amnesty law will will impinge heavily on the ARENA party (that leads the current governing coalition) and the military. The founder of the ARENA party, Roberto D'Aubuisson was widely believed to have ordered the assassination of Archbishop Romero and other Death Squad murders, while certain army units were responsible for the elimination of entire villages, including children and infants.
As the elections next year draw nearer tensions are mounting, with FMLN leaders calling on their supporters not to react to increasing incidents of anti-FMLN violence.

12.5Mb. 128kbps mono 13:45mins

Coral Winter has seen nine Australian brigades going over to Venezuela for the last four years, and will soon be going again. She spent over a year in Venezuela as a regular correspondent. In this interview she explains what the next brigade (leaving in November) can look forward to - a very interesting Venezuelan election, as well as meetings with key community organisations and leaders). She tells us what attracts her to Venezuela and why Australian brigades have an international reputation, with people of other nationalities coming on board.

10Mb. 128kbps 10:30mins
Janelle Saffin MHR spent several years working in Timor Leste with the now President, Jose Ramos Horta. During Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao's recent state visit to Australia and his meeting with Australian PM Kevin Rudd, Rudd politely declined to commit Australia to accepting Timorese guest workers, when Xanana raised the question. The issue will come under consideration. Janelle explains some of the reasons for the Australian Prime Minister's response, some of the more complex issues, and other aspects of the government's position on Timor Leste.

11mb. 128kbps mono 12:05 mins
Jim Dunn, human rights observer and author of numerous articles several histories of Timor Leste puts the attitude of this and other Australian governments under close scrutiny, when he comments on Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao's recent state visit to Australia and his meeting with Australian PM Kevin Rudd. Rudd politely declined to commit Australia to accepting Timorese guest workers, when Xanana raised the question.

7.5 Mb. 128kbps mono 7:56mins.
Professor Damien Kingsbury comments on possible reasons for Australia's procrastination in allowing Timorese guest workers to come to Australia on temporary work visas. The Australian government has recently passed legislation allowing temporary work visas to Pacific Islanders, but it appears the Timorese are lower on the list of the Rudd government's priorities. The state visit by Timorese Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao provided him with the opportunity to raise the matter, but Australian PM Kevin Rudd deferred a decision until early next year.

8mins 1.9MB

2008-08-25 Mon

*IS THE MUSEUM TO BE CLOSED DOWN?* ..........................*Update on Happy High Herbs raid*.............

9.5 Mb  128kbps mono 10:20 Mins

On the situation in Bolivia, Fred looks at the role of the military, which after several hundred years of  dominating the politics of countries like Bolivia seems to be changing with a new era of social reform.

11.6Mb 128kbps mono 12:41 mins

Fred (Frederico) Fuentes, based in Latin America talks about the recent referendum in Bolivia, called by the first elected indigenous president, Evo Morales. In spite of right wing calls to challenge the political empowerment of this man (with threats to secede from the central government and form 'autonomous' states) the referendum actually strengthened the position of a President who is introducing moderate reforms that act to phase out the negative influence of multi-national corporations and global privatisation.

 15.8Mb 128kbps mono 17:18 mins

Lara Pulling, speaking for the Canberra committee of the FMLN, talks further about the importance of next year's elections in El Salvador to the Salvadoran people. The government coalition is trying everything to sabotage the FMLN's 20 point lead in the polls, including the separation of the Presidential election from the local elections with a two month gap. The UN is scrutinising closely the claims of the FMLN that the ARENA led coalition has failed to respect the terms of the Peace Accord of 1992. The FMLN has respected the Accord meticulously, but the ARENA government has failed on a number of counts.

13Mb. 126kbps mono 14mins 19 secs.

Peter Murphy of the SEARCH foundation has been involved with Timor Leste since 1975. In this interview he talks about the controversial budget put to the Timorese Parliament by Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao. Some parliamentarians in his governing AMP coalition have raised eyebrows, and the decision to dip into the Oil Fund to prop up the budget for an amount my than double what is laid down in the constitutional guidelines has been questioned both within Timor Leste and by international advisors and observers.
Peter also comments on more recent findings of the investigation into the attempt on the life of President Jose Ramos Horta on February 11, and suggests that there should be an independent international investigation.

14Mb 128kbps mono 14mins 9seconds.

Burke tells us why the governing ARENA party is pulling out all the stops in its effort to continue in power in El Salvador. With the 2009 elections coming up early next year the opposition FMLN is showing a twenty point lead in all the polls.
The FMLN is not rushing into a radical makeover of the economy - decades of conservative and reactionary rule have made neo-conservative policy institutional structures. Next year's FMLN presidential candidate, Mauricio Funes is proposing moderate reforsm. But in the Latin American context it will mean that El Salvador will join the growing number of Latin American countries liberating themselves from US hegemomy and intervention, with the ability to develop themselves freely away from the the influence and impositions of the IMF the World Bank, and Washington.

8m43s, 3.8MB

2008-08-19 Tues

*The Nimbin Central School Olympics*........................................*Giant blackout last night*...................................*Death of Mary the cat*.......................*Platypus spotted in Nimbin*

12.3Mb. 128kbps. mono 13 minutes

Burke Stansbury on the US. harassment of CISPES 

CISPES, the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador was established in the USA in the 1980s when US trained Death Squads were systematically killing opposition to the US backed military regime in ritual terrorist assassinations. When US citizens organize themselves to resist the brutality of US foreign policy they came under scrutiny by the US police and intelligence services. It seems that old habits die hard. Current members of the CISPES have been investigated and harassed by the FBI because they have brought to public attention the return of Death Squad tactics in El Salvador, to break down opposition to the US backed government there with overtly terroristic tactics. In a previous interview Burke Stansbury gained an admission from the US Ambassador in El Salvador that the US had actively intervened in the 2004 elections.

It remains to be seen whether the US is trying to influence the results of next year's elections, but the fingerprints are all over the return of the Death Squads and the more recent harassment of CISPES.

Burke, and CISPES can be contacted at burke@cispes.org

15Mb. 128kbps. mono   16mins

Fred Fuentes is back in Caracas after a quick speaking tour of Australia, and already plugged in to the always volatile world of Venezuelan politics. He talks with community radio about the lead up to the regional elections coming up this November, and the prospects of the VSUP (the Venezuelan United Socialist Party) that is the core party of President Hugo Chavez' government coalition. The Chavista project of building grassroots democracy in Venezuela from the bottom up continues, but there are challenges ahead.

9Mb. 128kbps. 9mins 45 secs

Clinton Fernandes travels frequently to Timor Leste. He lectures to the Australian Defense Force Academy at the University of New South Wales, and has scrutinised the Commission for Truth and Friendship report closely and critically. He believes it is disappointing, but a stepping stone for further action for justice for the people of Timor Leste, who seem to have been left out of the political equation.

8.7 Mb. 128kbps mono 9mins 15 seconds

Professor Damien Kingsbury, political scientist and observer of Timor Leste comments about the outcome of the recently released report of the Truth and Friendship Commission on the horrific reprisals visited upon the people of Timor Leste by Indonesian militias, in the wake of the 1999 independence referendum. The results were predictable, but disappointing to the people of Timor Leste, who have yet to find justice after the long years of brutal Indonesian occupation.

11Mb. 128kbps mono 11mins 33 seconds

Jim Dunn, a researcher and human rights expert who has been following the situation in Timor Leste since before the 1975 Indonesian invasion talks about the implications for Timor Leste and Indonesia, of the recently released report of the Truth and Friendship Commission. The Commission was set up to establish what everybody knew  - Indonesian responsibility for the massacres and wanton destruction that took place in 1999 after the independence referendum. But where does it go from here?

14 Mb.  128kbps 14 mins 48 secs
(hi fidelity version for rebroadcasting)

Burke Stansbury from Washington. He has just returned from a fact finding mission to El Salvador with  CISPES where he had an interesting conversation with the US Ambassador there. While the Ambassador admitted that there was political intervention on the side of the ARENA party by the US to influence the results of the last Salvadoran elections, the Ambassador claims that the US State Department has no intention of influencing upcoming elections of 2009. Burke  is skeptical, and in this interview he explains why.

July 19 1979 was the day of the Triumph of the Sandinista Revolution.

18.43Mb 128kps mono 20mins 07 seconds

Peter Murphy of the SEARCH Foundation brings more insights into what motivates the students to demonstrate in Dili, Timor Leste, and the controversial policy decisions that seem to be coming from the Prime Minister's office. Towards the end of this interview Peter describes the efforts being made by the President and other parties and actors to maintain a sensible discourse without disrupting Timor Leste's fragile stability.

Students ... not exactly rioting, and an extraordinary police response. Now, around 40 students arrested, protesting at a general perception that the AMP government is misspending moneys, and doing deals that should be managed far better than they have been. Damien Kingsbury, Associate Professor of Political Science at Deakin University talks about the pressures Timor Leste's Prime Minister, Xanana Gusmao is under, for pushing policies that may be politically unwise.

9.313.3 Mb 64kbps. mono 9 mins 51 secs

Julie Webb talks about the Asia Pacific Conference. And Cuba is getting lots of respect! Why? Cuba's influence in the Pacific is outside the parameters of the industrial military complex, and the gaining of economic autonomy from US based multinational corporations. Medical and literacy assistance and education, social programs, seem to be winning more respect than the World Bank and the IMF when it comes to the real issues that need to be dealt with by the Asia Pacific Forum.

17.3Mb. 64kbps mono 19 minutes
Jim Dunn and security services fun and games.
The release of former militia members who devastated Timor Leste in 1999  has been controversial. Jim Dunn, a former Consul, an investigator for the United Nations into the war crimes committed by high ranking Indonesian officials in Timor Leste, is critical of the way the Timorese government was forced into a position whereby the 'Indonesian' diplomacy boat, should  not be rocked too hard. Human rights issues simply go overboard.

23.Mb 64kbps 25 mins
Tim Anderson. Cuban medical education.
Tim Anderson, academic in Sydney University speaks about a video documentary he has produced as a result of his visits to Timor Leste, and more recently, Cuba, where he interviewed students who are beneficiaries of the one thousand scholarships Cuba granted to the Timorese.  The Australian government, thus far has proved reluctant to match this generosity, although over 300 Cuban doctors in Timor Leste, over the last five years, have shouldered the burden of community health services.
 Tim will be doing further research expeditions in Timor Leste, in the near future, but meanwhile his video documentary will be released with multilingual translations in Australian. Watch this space.

15Mb.  64kbps mono 16mins 18seconds.

Janelle Saffin, Federal member for Page spent over three years working in Timor Leste, before taking on her political career. She was present during the mayhem of the 1999 referendum, and worked at times as an adviser to the President Jose Ramos Horta, during the period when he was the Foreign Minister for the East Timorese government. She talks to community radio 2NimFM about the controversial Truth and Friendship Commission, which was supposed to expose human rights abuses by the Indonesian militia. She clears up some of the confusion about the Commission, which has been criticised in the past for being ineffective and powerless to prosecute offenders. Particularly relevant at this time, with recent (and not so recent) press revelations about Australian intelligence services selectively gathering, and also holding back, information under political pressures, on the grounds of maintaining diplomatic relations. Diplomatic relations seem to still be supervening human rights issues, despite the lessons of history.

6.3 Mb. 64kbps mono 13mins 41 secs.

Fred Fuentes, latest report from Caracas. Fred gives us the insider's view of the most recent Chavez call on the Colombian FARC guerrillas to consider putting the armed struggle aside and release their hostages unconditionally (he made a similar statement in January that went unnoticed). This has been exploited by the opposition within Venezuela as a sign of a 'weakening' of Chavez' authority, but the recent PSUV (Venezuelan Socialist Party) preselection results bode well for the developing grass roots foundational support for Chavez in the upcoming November elections.

4.9Mb  64kbps mono 10mins. 38secs.

Lisa MacDonald from GreenLeft Weekly  talks about Chavez recent address to the Colombian FARC guerillas to release their remaining hostages and to think about setting aside the armed struggle. The FARC did try this in the 1980s, but resumed their armed struggle when Death Squads and Paramilitaries selectively assassinated or kidnapped the key figures in their movement. Nevertheless, Washington, which has been accusing the Venezuelan government of supporting the FARC, during the recent hostage release negotiations, is suddenly at a loss for words.

10.5Mb. 128kbps mono 11mins 34 seconds
Linda Seaborn of the Tasmanian Committee in Support of the FMLN (El Salvador's main opposition party) talks about why a delegation of Australians should go to El Salvador as observers, before and during next year's elections. The current government has a long record of turning a blind eye to, if not actively promoting, human rights violations, and this year the political opposition is particularly targeted. Already the ARENA government of El Salvador has been challenged for its corrupt political practices in previous elections, and is demonstrating a distinct reluctance to subject itself to scrutiny for the coming elections, discouraging international observers. But some Australians are determined to see honesty and fair practice prevail.

8.4Mb 64kbps mono 18mins 19secs

Coral Winter is back after coordinating the distinctive presence of the Australian 'Mayday' brigade to Venezuela, that included appropriately, a large contingent of Australian Unionists. The Howard government's ambassador had the Australian embassy in Venezuela closed down when a Washington inspired coup against President Hugo Chavez failed, but hopefully that will change, if Australian Green Senator Bob Brown (with the Australian 'brigadistas'), returns after his own visit, with the news that President Hugo Chavez is not a 'dictator', but a popularly elected leader who increases his electoral popularity regularly with each electoral contest.

7.4Mb. 64Kbps mono  16 minutes

Rob Wesley Smith, experienced campaigner for East Timor independence since 1974, points out the flawed motivation of the Northern Territory government, and the perverse logic of the Australian government, to encourage the development of a refinery in Darwin, to exploit the gas and oil reserves of the Timor Gap. Apart from the absurd reasoning processes ( - Timor Leste needs employment, therefore biofuel agriculture is good, but a gas refining plant should come to Australia to create jobs here, but Timorese can come as guest workers ...   )    -  the environmental issues and the impact on Darwin and the lifestyle of the people of Darwin and the local ambience is virtually ignored. Collective glaucoma, anyone?

10m30s

2008-06-10 Tues

*update on Hemp Embassy robbery*....................* 4 new NimFM presenters' (Jamie, Ron, Linda, & Marie) first words on radio*................*What's on in Nimbin this week?*

 12Mb. 64kbps mono 25mins 47secs

Jim Dunn has just returned from a five week visit to Timor Leste where he has had conversations with the President Jose Ramos Horta and other top political leaders. He had time to observe the situation in the streets of Dili, the halls of Parliament, the countryside and the refugee camps. Jim has some 'filthy' questions about why, Human Rights violations against the Timorese people over the last 75 years are still not recognized. Even Indonesian visitors are surprised that the Generals and Colonels who devasted Timor Leste have not been called to account. Most have actually been promoted. Is it the role of the suffering Timorese people to be an instrument of the power games of others?

3.71MB. 64Kbps, mono  8:06 minutes

Lisa McDonald from the Venezuela Solidarity network has some rather acerbic comments on a New York Times article, following an effort by the Chavez government to clean up the Venezuelan Intelligence apparatus ... the NYT would do well to delve a little bit deeper into the history of  US/Venezuelan "Intelligence" efforts.

7m12s, 1.7MB

2008-06-03 Tues

*Lil's son off to state rugby*....................*How Lil's Shed opening went*

7m20s, 1.7MB

2008-06-02 Mon

*Opening of Lil's Shed tomorrow*......................*The Coffee Shop staff runoff unexpectedly*................*Lost badge-making machine found*.............*Fibre expo*.............*This week's live music*

6.3 Mb 128kbps mono 6:52minutes

Lara Pullin with the latest update on the situation in El Salvador where the governing ARENA coalition has scrapped the agreements on electoral reform with the Organisation of American States. With even the most conservative polls giving the FMLN opposition party a commanding 20 point lead, the right wing ARENA party is resorting to increasingly desperate tactics in a bid to steal next year's elections  -  even threatening to expel independent observers who will be arriving there to observe the elections, including a number of Australians.

19.3Mb 128kbps mono 21:08 minutes

Fred Fuentes in Caracas reports on important struggles being played out within Venezuela's governing PSUV (United Socialist Party of Venezuela). While President Chavez' power base is with the grass roots organisations, some of the entrenched bureaucrats and more conservative politicians are fighting off challenges from delegates representing these grass roots organisations, tooth and nail. PSUV is currently going through a kind of 'pre-selection' process, and the more conservative elements are using all kinds of dirty tricks to hang on to their influence within the party.

12.5MB mono 128Kbps 13:11 minutes.

Jose Texeira, a Fretilin Parliamentarian and the party's media spokesman was in Australia this week and granted 2NimFM an interview where he clarifies some of the issues at stake in the weakening of the AMP governing coalition. One of the older parties, the ASDT, and several smaller parties, are concerned at the lack of transparency of at least one of the appointed AMP Ministers with an apparently covert agreement with an Indonesian Biofuel company to turn a quarter of East Timor's arable land to sugar cane production for biofuels.  It took over three months to force the AMP government to make the details of the deal available for public discussion. Jose says that this need not necessarily lead to an early election, this will depend very much on the government's response to questioning. The ASDT has already signed an agreement to run as a coalition party with Fretilin, should elections be called.

5.1Mb. 64Kbps mono   11:10mins

Note: sound quality is poor, due to a bad phone line to Caracas, but the news content is of great interest.

Fred Fuentes on the most recent escalation of hostile manouevres against the Venezuelan government. A US plane invades Venezuelan air space, at the same time that Colombian troops are found inside Venezuelan territory. Then, a day later, 60 more!
And by a strange coincidence, there is a major international media campaign about the FARC (Colombian guerilla movement) computers alleged to have been found when Colombian troops invaded Ecuadorean territory last March. Washington claims that it establishes a 'compromising' link between the Venezuelan government and the FARC guerillas, but everyone who has read further than the first paragraph of the Interpol examination of the computers recognises an eerie similarity between this finding, and the Bush administration's wolf cry of 'weapons of mass destruction' in the lead up to the war in Iraq.

14.3Mb. 64 kbps 31:23mins

Jorge Schafik Handal, son of the guerilla commander, and Salvadoran presidential candidate of the same name, addresses a meeting of Resistance, in Brisbane, where he fields some keen questions from youthful members of the Socialist Alliance, and others. He is on a mission to Australia to garner support for a team of independent observers for next year's elections in El Salvador, which by all indications, the governing ARENA coalition, will try to steal, despite the FMLN's commanding lead in the current polls.

Jorge explains some of the problems confronting the FMLN, and their ways of dealing with them.

23.5Mb. 64kbps mono   25:36 mins

Jorge Schafik Handal, son of the FMLN guerilla commander in the same name has been in Australia seeking observers for the Salvadoran elections next year, which he believes the governing ARENA coalition will try to steal. In this segment he acknowledges the support he has received from all sectors of Australian society.

6.2 Mb 128kbps. 6:46 mins

Fred Fuentes, based in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela observes the coordinated efforts of the US to 'split off' resource rich states in Bolivia and Venezuela and Ecuador, as a last ditch attempt to counter the election of left of centre governments, and the growing popularity of these governments in more and more of the Latin American nation states. Venezuela, with the inspired leadership of Hugo Chavez has been able to break the stranglehold of latin american economic dependency. Latin America is finding its own way, independently of the superpower to the north, but the Empire still tries to strike back, using the full  bag of tricks.

5.4Mb. 128kbps mono 6 mins

Lara Pullin phones back with breaking news of the political harassment of Human Rights organisations and a Women's organisation. After a series of phone calls making death threats, the offices of the women's organisation was vandalised. Salvadoran police had no interest in investigating because 'nothing had been stolen'.

13.1Mb  128kbps mono  14:20 mins

Lara Pullin details the tactics used by the US to maintain its grip on Latin America  - from a multimillion dollar police training institution in El Salvador, to a billion dollar military base in Colombia, uncomfortably close to the Venezuelan border.

11.3mb 128kbps mono 12:20 mins

Lara Pullin with a weekly report, and just in case anyone hasn't realised it yet, the Salvadoran Death Squads are real, they are back, and they are sheltered by their former operatives and sponsors with government posts in the ARENA party.
One of 13 peasant activists who demonstrated against water privatisation laws has been assassinated. The Suchitoto 13 (demonstrators) arrested and threatened under anti-terrorism (!) laws had the terrorism charges dropped, but the Death Squads were able to administer their own version of justice with impunity.
Lara Pullin gives us the background on this latest travesty of human rights.

9.6Mb. 128kbps. mono 8mins
Bob Boughton, senior lecturer in Adult Education has just returned from Timor Leste where he goes regularly as a government consultant for their Adult Literacy campaign. While the campaign was showing signs of great promise Bob sees progress hamstrung by sudden switches in government policy on the administrative side of things. The campaign has gone backward since Xanana's AMP colition initiated a restructuring of the Public Service. Bob was also in Timor Leste when the Social Democrat party split, and announced its commitment to support Fretilin in the next elections.

10.5 Mb 128kbps mono 11:28 mins

Estanislau Da Silva was a former Prime Minister of Timor Leste, when the Fretilin was the party in government. Before that, he was the Minister for Agriculture in the Fretilin government. He is in Australia this week to attend the launching of a book by a Timorese man, Naldo Rei  (click here to see Radio National ABC interview) who grew up in Indonesian occupied Timor Leste, as a committed supporter of the Fretilin led resistance movement.

Estanislau Da Silva spoke to 2NimFM and Latin Radical at a very opportune time. Australian mainstream media is playing down the commitment of the second largest (social democrat) political party to run with Fretilin as a renovated government coalition in next year's elections. But it looks like the beginning of the end of Xanana Gusmao's hastily cobbled together AMP coalition, designed to keep Fretilin out of power after last year's election result, when Fretilin won the largest vote, but was denied the opportunity to try to form a government, by Presidential intervention.

Da Silva does not dwell on this. He moves on and is at his most eloquent and passionate (as a former Minister for Agriculture) when he speaks about the Fretilin party's commitment to resist the pressures of corporate Agribusiness, and a commitment to develop, as far as possible, self sufficiency in basic food products by enabling small farmers. The current government appears to be more interested in encouraging corporate agribusiness investment. Da Silva says Fretilin is committed to resisting corporate pressures to use Timor's precious acreage to grow biofuels - the main factor in a looming global shortage of basic food products. Important, when even corporations like Nestles are saying that there is no such thing as a global food shortage - it is the diversion of food crops to produce biofuels that is causing the rise in food prices.

2.6MB

2008-05-05 Mon

*All the stats on this year's Mardi Grass. *........................*Motorbike accident death*........................*What's coming up in Nimbin*.

10Mb. mono 64kbps 20mins

Lara Pullin talks about Jorge Schafik Handal, a visiting dignitary from El Salvador currently touring Australia and bringing us up to date on the situation in El Salvador that is becoming increasingly volatile.

Jorge Schafik Handal is in Australia to invite independent observers to come to  next year's elections to frustrate anticipated attempts at fraud, and to ensure that the election results are recognised. The pro US ARENA party, which presently leads a coalition that keeps the FMLN out of power is notorious for fraud, corruption and the use of violence to intimidate opponents. Already a number of public figures associated with the FMLN have been brutally assassinated by Death Squads.

4.9 Mb. 6 mins 96kbps. mono

Jorge Schafik Handal is the son of the man of the same name, who was chief guerilla commander of the FMLN liberation front (Commandante 'Simon'), during the civil war in El Salvador during the 1980s.
Jorge himself has been a militant of the FMLN for 34 years and an important figure for the front, in his own right. The FMLN is now a legally constituted political party, and according to local polls will win the upcoming 2009 elections by a landslide. 
Jorge Schafik Handal is in Australia to invite independent observers to come to  next year's elections to frustrate anticipated attempts at fraud, and to ensure that the election results are recognised. The pro US ARENA party, which presently leads a coalition that keeps the FMLN out of power is notorious for fraud, corruption and the use of violence to intimidate opponents. Already a number of public figures associated with the FMLN have been brutally assassinated by Death Squads.

Spanish. English account to follow.

74.7 Mb. mono 96kbps 10mins

Note: poor sound quality

Lara Pullin with the most recent news updates from El Salvador. The Suchitoto 13, who demonstrated to stop the privatisation of the water resources of Lake Suchitoto (part of a strategy of North American mining companies) have finally managed to defeat terrorism charges, with the harsh penalties they entail. But they are still fighting further legal harassment, and other popular organisations, unions and grassroots communities continue to be assailed by the neo-liberal, neo-conservative ARENA government.

4.8Mb mono 96 kbps 6:46 mins

Note: Inferior sound quality

Lara Pullin with exciting news from El Salvador. Among other things, FMLN parliamentarian and activist Jorge Schafik Handal, son of the revolutionary guerilla leader Commandante Simon will be visiting Australia to invite independent observers - politicians, unionists, and human rights organisations - to come to next years election in El Salvador, which is promising to become a very dirty campaign.

11.5 Mb. 96kbps. mono 16:51 mins

Lara Pullin continuing her update on the steady increment of pressure on El Salvador from the US through the ARENA party, which is pushing the envelope of legality in repressing attempts by grass roots organisations to resist the push for ever more 'privatisation' - even to the point of using anti-terrorist laws against legitimate protest, and persecuting those who claim legal recourse against the perpetrators of new death-squad activities and homicides.

9.35 Mb. 13:45mins. mono 96kbps.

Fred takes us right down to the nitty-gritty of the tensions building in Bolivia - largely due to not very well disguised US nodding and winking to right wing crypto-fascist organisations working as a catspaw to US corporate interests.
The recent meeting of ALBA - a Latin American entity of nations finally making an attempt to break free of US hegemony  -  has announced its support for the Bolivian government. The  US is making blatant attempts to undermine the fledgeling government. But will it work this time, as it has in the past? Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says no, and his voice is a visionary voice backed with oil resources that puts his vision outside and beyond the limitations and imaginative backwardness of corporate USA - and includes the real struggle against planetary climate change.

10 Mb. 11 mins mono 128 kbps.

Lara reports on the latest development on the situation in El Salvador. Tensions are growing as the divide between the major opposition party, the FMLN, and ARENA (which created the Death Squads of the 70s and 80s) present for the Presidential elections next year. And of course, as usual, the USA is playing a hegemonic role  - and, as usual on the side most people would not normally like to see in a position of supremacy.

10mins 2.3MB

(Sorry about late posting but I've been on holidays).

2008-03-25 Tues

*Results of the ice-man at the pub incident.*......................*Heidi talks about Woods inquiry into DoCS.*.........................*Blue Knob Hall Concert coming up*

[Note: poor sound quality - technological fixes on the way]
2.4Mb. 56kbps. mono 5:49
Lisa puts us in the picture, with the latest development in the ExxonMobil  legal challenge to the Venezuelan government's buyout of foreign ownership shares in the oil industry  - often referred to as 'nationalisation'. The Venezuelan government just wants 51% control over its national resources. Exxon Mobil rejected the Venezuelan government's generous compensation/bouyout offer (although most other oil companies were happy enough), and tried to freeze 3.5 billion dollars of Venezuelan assets around the world. The London judge threw it out of court.

3.6 Mb.56kbps mono 8:56 mins

Fred Fuentes in Caracas Venezuela reports on the continuing effects of the confrontation with Colombia several weeks ago. The latest meeting of the Organisation of American States was remarkable in the inability of the US to dominate proceedings, as it has done in the past.

3.67Mb. 56kbps mono  9:10mins

Lara Pullin tells us how the political tensions leading up to next year's Presidential elections in El Salvador are not just limited to this tiny nation of 6 million people. The solidarity organisation CISPES has been targetted by the FBI in the US, because its activists sent an invitation to the FMLN's presidential candidate, and hosted him for a speaking tour of the US. Suddenly Quakers, human rights advocates and other US citizens have been accused of being terrorists, or terrorist supporters.

3.24Mb. 56kbps 8:026 mins

Lara Pullin describes the political tensions in El Salvador which are growing even though it is almost a year before Presidential elections are to be held. Death Squad activity is on the rise, and much of it seems to have been sponsored by the US, while peasant dissidents are classed as 'terrorists' because of their opposition to a growing campaign of privatisation.

Roberto Perez shares his experience of sustainable development and permaculture in Cuba. He works for the Foundation for Nature and Humanity in Havana.

Participating: Robyn Francis from Erda Institute, Nimbin.
Questions by Wolfgang and Matthias from Nimbin Radio 2NIM-FM 102.3

19.3MB 64kbps mono 42:13min

Roberto Perez talks about the Cuban way into a sustainable future.

Recorded Live at NIM-FM, Nimbin, 13 March 2008

6.8Mb 64kbps mono 14:52 mins.

Rachel Evans describes three month stay in Bolivia where she witnessed the social revolution of the Morales government  - the first indigenous leader to be elected in a country that suffered 193 coups in two hundred years  - mainly between rival factions of a military elite. The veins of Bolivia's rich mineral resources were open, first to Spain, and then, after the war of independence from Spain, the US. Now, for the first time the Bolivian people are reclaiming their right to be free from exploitation, but not without a lot of kicking and screaming from the entrenched oligarchic and military elite. Morales has his work cut out for him.

11.2Mb. 96kbps mono  17:20 mins

Fred Fuentes gets us focussed on just how important the recent reconciliation of three Latin American countries  - Colombia, Equador, and Venezuela  - is to Latin America. Last week they were close to being on a war footing. The three countries declared that they were reconciled at an Interamerican conference in Santo Domingo, usually regarded as being of little importance, because the agenda is usually driven by the US. It has become obvious to the Latin American world community that the 'divide and conquer' regional wedging politics of the US is just not on. The Colombian President Uribe, isolated in the Latin American community has had to back down on his warlike actions of last week. It seems that a new pattern has been set for Latin American forums and meetings of national leaders that is becoming less responsive to the US agenda. Chavez' peace initiatives (not to mention his credentials) have been strengthened by the incident, in spite of increased efforts by the US driven media to demonise him.

10.2MB 96kbps mono 14:51min

Roberto Perez shares his experience of sustainable development and permaculture in Cuba. He works for the Foundation for Nature and Humanity in Havana.

Participating: Robyn Francis from Erda Institute, Nimbin.
Questions by Wolfgang and Matthias from Nimbin Radio 2NIM-FM 102.3

Recorded at Djunbung Gardens, Nimbin, 10 March 2008

12.4MB 96kbps mono 18.05min

Roberto Perez shares his experience of sustainable development and permaculture in Cuba. He works for the Foundation for Nature and Humanity in Havana.

Participating: Robyn Francis from Erda Institute, Nimbin.
Questions by Wolfgang and Matthias from Nimbin Radio 2NIM-FM 102.3

Recorded at Djunbung Gardens, Nimbin, 10 March 2008

9.05MB 96kbps mono 13:10min

Roberto Perez shares his experience of sustainable development and permaculture in Cuba. He works for the Foundation for Nature and Humanity in Havana.

Participating: Robyn Francis from Erda Institute, Nimbin.
Questions by Wolfgang and Matthias from Nimbin Radio 2NIM-FM 102.3

Recorded at Djunbung Gardens, Nimbin, 10 March 2008

12.2MB 96kbps mono 17:54min

Roberto Perez shares his experience of sustainable development and permaculture in Cuba. He works for the Foundation for Nature and Humanity in Havana.

Participating: Robyn Francis from Erda Institute, Nimbin.
Questions by Wolfgang and Matthias from Nimbin Radio 2NIM-FM 102.3

Recorded at Djunbung Gardens, Nimbin, 10 March 2008

10.3Mb. 96kbps mono 15mins

Fred Fuentes calls community radio station 2NimFM with breaking news from Caracas. Troops are being mobilised to guard the borders with Coloumbia, in Venezuela and Ecuador after Colombia's incursion into Ecuador to 'take out' a FARC (Columbian rebel) guerilla leader. Tensions are high in both Ecuador and Venezuela. The Colombian government seems to be piqued that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has achieved something that the Colombian government couldn't bring itself to do for the last decade  -  achieved the release of high profile hostages by the Colombian FARC guerillas. The Colombian military intervened at a critical moment in last months hostage release in an apparent attempt to sabotage the efforts of Hugo Chavez, but without success. With the assistance of US satellite intelligence they located a temporary camp of a Colombian guerilla leader (who had committed himself to releasing more hostages shortly) a few kilometers inside Ecuador, strafed it with cluster bombs, and made an incursion into Ecuadorian territory to find the leader's body, and put it on display in the Colombian press. All done without consultation with the President of Ecuador. Now both Ecuador and Venezuela have severed diplomatic relations with Columbia. Colombia has deployed troops to the Venezuelan border, and a further escalation will put all three countries on a war footing. Important regional meetings and conferences between South American presidents to decide economic and political issues have been cancelled or disrupted. Latin America is experiencing a political and social earthquake.

10.4 Mb. 96kbps mono 15:11 mins.

Fred Fuentes in Caracas reports that while the recent makeover of the PSUV (The United Socialist Party of Venezuela) is straining the political system, President Chavez' vision for Venezuela and Bolivarianism has not been compromised, and the empowering of the grass roots could mean that the corruption and bureaucratism that had become entrenched over the decades of the last century may be challenged. Meanwhile, external pressures to break down the will of the Venezuelan program for change are being resisted. This includes the challenge of Exxon Mobil, and the aggressive attitude of the neighbouring Columbian government  - not to mention the glowering resentments of Washington.

11.8 96kbps. mono 17:15 mins

Lara Pullin of the Australia Venezuela Solidarity Network follows up Lisa MacDonald's call for a week of action - solidarity for Venezuela and protests against Exxon's high handed action in attempting to freeze US$13billion worth of assets of the Venezuela's state controlled oil company that ploughs oil revenue back into social programs for the people and renewable resource projects. With record profits, exceeding the gross national product of many nations (US$36 billion last year), Exxon is bullying many countries to fit their climate change targets to Exxon's agenda  - including the targets tentatively set by Australia's new Rudd Labor government.

9.04 Mb 64kbps mono 20 mins.

James Dunn, former diplomat and Human Rights activist draws on his experience to speculate on the prospects for Timor Leste, now that Alfredo Reinado and his band of armed supporters no longer seem to be such a disruptive influence on East Timorese politics. He talks about the importance of Human Rights and accountability in the development of democratic nation states.

4.9MB  96Kbps 5:30 mins

Bob Boughton, senior lecturer in Adult Education at the University of New England in Armidale has spent many months over many years in Timor Leste advising the Timorese government on education programs and policies.  He doesn't accept the mainstream media take on recent events, and suggests the international community should have looked a little more closely at the events that disrupted Timorese governance in March 2006.

5.1Mb. 64kbps. mono 11:06 mins

Lisa McDonald of the Australia Venezuela Solidarity Network (AVSN) fills us in on the latest attempt to undermine the sovereignty of Venezuela by the US based transnational corporation Exxon, which has taken out legal action against the Venezuelan state oil company. Exxon seems to believe that a non-privatised oil company that spends its profits on social programs is a blight on the planet, and has managed to have $US13 billion worth of Venezuelan assets frozen around the world while it sues for a US$180 million in compensation.  Oddly enough, US$13 billion is exactly what the Venezuelan State oil company spends on social programs for the Venezuelan people!

4.9Mb. 64Kbps 10:34mins

Janelle Saffin, recently elected as the Federal member for Page recalls the three years she spent working in Timor Leste as an assistant to Jose Ramos Horta, who was shot and seriously wounded by a rebel commander on February 10 2008.

3.53Mb 64kbps mono  7:43mins

Stuart Munkton from the Latin American desk of Green Left weekly resports on the expulsion of a US spy from Bolivia, and a reprimand to the US Ambassador. The spy made the mistake of approaching a Fullbright scholar doing research in Bolivia, to report on the activities of Cuban and Venezuelan doctors and literacy teachers working in Bolivia.

5.7 Mb 64kbps mono 12:20 mins

Jim Dunn, former diplomat, adviser to Timorese President Jose Ramos Horta, and Human Rights activist, reviews the traumatic events of the last week in Timor Leste. The stampede of much mainstream media  in Australia to label the attack on the President and Prime Minister of Timor Leste a coup is ill advised, he says, and it would be misjudging the situation to say that Timor Leste has been further destabilised by the events of last week. And the jury is still out on what exactly was Reynado's motivation.

3.4Mb. 64kbps. mono 7:08 mins.
Tim Anderson, Lecturer in Political Economy at Sydney University talks about his recent experience with the Cuban medical brigades in Timor Leste and a visit to Cuba where he gathered materials for a documentary on the 600 Timorese students studying medicine there on Cuban scholarships. He has written a letter challenging the Rudd Labour government to match this level of Cuban aid, and invites other Australians to do the same.

16Mb 23 mins 96kbps mono

Robert Wesley Smith, a long term Timor activists who recalls happier days for Alfredo Reinado, the man who was shot down in his attempt to kidnap, control, or kill the President of East Timor, Jose Ramos Horta, last Monday February 10 2008. Wes is on the phone from Darwin, after seeing the plane come in, medivac - ing the seriously wounded President from Dili to Darwin.

1.43 Mb 64kbps mono 3:8mins

A preview of a longer interview with Robert Wesley Smith, a long term Timor activists who recalls happier days for Alfredo Reinado, the man who was shot down in his attempt to either kidnap, control, or kill, the President of East Timor, Jose Ramos Horta, last Monday February 10 2008. Wes is on the phone from Darwin, after seeing the plane come in, medivac - ing the seriously wounded President from Dili to Darwin.

Photo:Alfredo Reinado, shot down by Horta's security personnel.

Picture by independent East Timorese media organisation "The investigative journalist centre" (http://www.cjitl.blogspot.com/)

3.9Mb. 64kbps mono 9 mins.

Kiraz Janicke in a phone interview from Caracas has the details of the attempts by the US based multinational corporate giant Exxon, to lock up US$12 billion worth of Venezuela's assets in a specious legal claim for a few hundred million dollars, against Venezuela's State owned oil company. In retaliation, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is threatening to cut off oil supplies to the US  - over ten percent of its intake.

8Mb 64kbps mono 17 mins.

Kiraz Janicke, based in Caracas is on the phone to Latin Radical for the latest developments in the media war against the government of President Hugo Chavez. Chavez' success in negotiating a successful hostage release, without military intervention stuck in the craw of the US and the government of Columbia. Columbian embassies and Consulates have organised demonstrations against the FARC around the world (including Australia) in an effort to discredit the Chavez government and torpedo his promotion of peace talks between the FARC (which controls over 30% of Columbia) and the Columbian government. Meanwhile, Chavez has evicted the US drug enforcement officials of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) with a rise in big drug busts by Venezuelan authorities, commended by the UN monitoring authority. Right wing paramilitaries are infiltrating into Venezuela across the Columbian border to disrupt land reform programs by Venezuelan peasant farmers.

Finally, how to join an Australian brigade to Venezuela, and see for yourself.

10Mb 11mins 96kbps Mono

Lara Pullin on El Salvador's coming elections. Pt 1

El Salvador suffered terribly in a civil war that lasted through the decade of the 1980s. After the FMLN fought the US backed military to a standstill in 1989 a peace was negotiated over the next 2 years, and in 1992, amid much jubilation an 'accord' was signed with the FMLN which became a major, legally registered political party, and narrowly lost winning government against a five party coalition led by the right wing ARENA party.

Next year, 2009, will be another presidential election. But over recent years it seems that ARENA is reverting to form. The founder of ARENA, Roberto D'Aubuisson ran the notorious Death Squads through the 1970s and 1980s, and is believed to be the intellectual author of the assassination of Archbishop Romero in March 1980.  The Death Squads are back, and the head of the National Police of El Salvador sees no need to investigate the political violence, assassinations of leading FMLN Mayors and political figures.

And guess who has been chosen to be ARENA's Presidential candidate next year? If you guessed the head of the National Police, you win a free bag of tortillas.

Check out the CISPES website, for more information:
http://cispes.org/

5.6 Mb 11 mins 64kbps mono

Lara Pullin on the El Salvadoran elections Part 2

Lara talks about some of the details of the return of the Death Squads in El Salvador, and the incremental increase in their activities, including the assassination of a Mayor, and  threats against a Public radio station that caters to the people, rather than the commercial  media moguls.

She analyses possible reasons for the violent reaction of the right wing governing party. Is it possible that they might lose the next Presidential election.  Does the influence of Venezuela allow political parties more scope to be independent of the interests of the US?

(More information on El Salvador here:
http://cispes.org/ )

Picture: The Mayor, Wilbur Funes, assassinated several weeks ago by the resurgent Salvadoran Death Squads. Government prosecutors refuse to investigate this and other murders.

16Mb mono 128kbps 20 mins

Canadian couple John Riddell and Susan Weiss talk to Latin Radical about their experience on the Australian Venezuela solidarity brigade. Not only were they witnesses to the recent plebiscite, but they were able to observe the workings of the "Community Councils" which the Chavez government is trying to empower. People are encouraged to work together at a community level and given the means to circumvent entrenched bureaucracies.

Note: Sound quality is poor. This was a phone interview on a noisy international connection. Nevertheless, it is worth hearing what John and Susan have to say.

15Mb 128kbps mono 15mins.
Fred Fuentes reports from ground base in Caracas, Venezuela. Are there really food shortages? What are these "Community Councils"? Are they really an instrument to centralise power to the President? Why has President Hugo Chavez and his government so calmly accepted the narrow rejection of the 66 point plebiscite to change the Venezuelan constitution? Fred has been in Venezuela for over a year and has his finger on the pulse of Bolivarian activism. He rounds up this interview with an insightful assessment of how President Hugo Chavez international status has been enhanced by his success in persuading the Columbian FARC guerillas to release hostages, in spite of efforts by the US and the Columbian President to sabotage a successful outcome.

12.2 Mb 128kbps mono 14mins

Lisa McDonald of the AVSN  -  the Australia Venezuela Solidarity Network. Lisa talks about the details of the constitutional reforms proposed for the narrowly lost plebiscite for Venezuela's constitutional reform last week.

10.1Mb. 96kbps mono 14:50 minutes; Skype phone interview from Venezuela, Friday December 7 2007.
Fred Fuentes is in Venezuela for the long haul and sends regular reports back to Australia, as well as assisting in setting up brigades from Australia to see conditions in Venezuela on the ground. Fred was in the thick of the huge plebiscite that took place in Venezuela last week, for constitutional reforms designed to institutionalise the sweeping changes the Chavez government is implementing. The plebiscite was narrowly lost, after a ruthless campaign of sabotage and destabilisation by the Venezuelan business class and the CIA, which invested US$8million into the process. Fred gives us an informed and considered assessment of the plebiscite. We get a good analysis of why it did not succeed, what the result means to Venezuela, and most importantly,why the narrow loss was a Pyhrric victory for the Venezuelan right wing opposition.

11.7 Mb. 128kbps mono 12:47 mins

Nelson D'Avila, the Venezuelan Charge d'Affaires to Australia and Oceania addresses the Greenleft Weekly dinner in November descibing Venezuela's leadership role in resisting US pressures to eliminate socialism on the planet.

14Mb. 14:39 mins mono 128kbps.

Glebe Coroner's Court handed down a finding last month that the 5 journalists killed at Balibo in Timor Leste in 1975 were murdered by an invading Indonesian force which both the Australian and Indonesian governments at the time were denying  was in progress, or even planned. The Coroner recommended that there should be further investigation to establish whether this act constituted a war crime.

Jim Dunn, who was the Australian Consul about that time, and who has since been active in the United Nations and Human Rights bodies to claim justice for the East Timorese people talks about the significance of this finding, and what it means for the Timorese, the Australian and Indonesian governments, and the families of the murdered newsmen.

7.4 Mb. 64kbps mono 15:38 mins

Reported rumours of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez' dictatorial tendencies seem to be grossly exaggerated, according to Stuart Munkton from the Latin American desk of GreenLeft weekly. International mainstream media coverage of right wing student protests (designed to sabotage the latest plebiscite for constitutional reform) got both the facts and the figures wrong. Stuart explains, quite simply what the reforms are, why a huge majority of the Venezuelan people will vote in favor of them, and why the US State department and the establishment media are in an hysterical feeding frenzy over the possibilities of popularly ratified change.

6.85 Mb. 128kbps mono 7:30mins

Lisa Macdonald of the Australia Venezuela Solidarity Network talks with 2NimFM about ways in which Australians can overcome the media spin and distortions about Venezuela's move towards socialism. The AVSN has reliable people on the ground providing regular eyewitness reports that contradict the hysterical accounts of the mainstream international media, and is organising a stream of brigades and study tours for Australians to go there and see for themselves.

2.3 Mb. 64 kbps. mono 9 mins.

Lara Pullin reports on developments in El Salvador and the continuing struggle of the FMLN to maintain the democratic standards in El Salvador that it fought for for so long. The forces of neoliberalism are pulling no punches as they try to claw back the recent advances made by the burgeoning of governments independent of US influence throughout the whole region.  The pro-US neo-liberals are resorting to their old tactics of fear, intimidation, violence and terror.

28 Mb. 128kbps mono 30 mins.

Rob Wesley-Smith has just come back from one of his many visits to Timor Leste. He is familiar with the area (Same) and the people where Australian troops tried to capture the rebel mutineer, Alfredo Reynado. Wes knows Reynado personally, being one of the few people to meet him when Reynado first came to Australia as a refugee. While not impressed with Reynado's role in recent events, Wes is very critical of the 'modus operandi' of the Australian Defense Forces in Timor Leste.

Wes has been active in defense of the independence of the East Timorese people since the first days of the Indonesian intervention. His involvement goes back to dodging police and ASIO agents to set up and maintain the clandestine radio transmitter, which was the only means the Fretilin/Falintil guerillas had of communicating with the outside world, after Indonesia sealed East Timor off.  Wes was also involved in several attempts to smuggle medical supplies to the Fretilin guerillas in 1976. In this interview he recalls half a lifetime of activism for Timor Leste.

(Photo: Former member for Frazer and Timor activist, Ken Fry with Brian Manning and Wes, sending messages of support to Fretilin guerillas just outside Darwin.)

8.4Mb 96kbps mono 12:17mins

Roberto Jorquera reports on the Latin America Asia Pacific International Solidarity Forum, with speakers from all around the world, last October 11 - 14. A common thread was the fight against capitalism and imperialism. See the website for CLASS (Centre for Latin American Solidarity and Studies) and Greenleft Weekly: for written reports.


"Solidarity  We came and met together from many different countries.  We came because we are some of those who have to struggle.

10.1MB 96kbs mono 14:50 mins
Roberto Jorquera talks about community radio in Venezuela, and a unique Australian radio podcast project  - an English language Latin American solidarity internet radio hub called "Radio Venceremos" after the clandestine radio transmitter used by the FMLN guerillas of El Salvador during the guerilla war of the 1980s.

8.13 Mb 96kbps mono 11:50 mins
Julie Webb, correspondent for Narco News (http://narconews.com) and Scoop (http://scoop.co.nz) returns to New Zealand after 18 months in Mexico, to find herself caught up in a wave of 'anti-terrorist' police actions. NZ police used anti-terrorist legislation to round up and intidate hundreds of people even remotely involved in any kind of social activism. Environmentalists, Maori elders (indeed, whole communities), and peace activists were all targetted in the illegal police raids which were timed to coincide with a parliamentary vote to strengthen 'anti-terrorist' legislation.

Julie's reports can be read at: http://www.narconews.com/Issue47/article2843.html

and: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0506/S00046.htm

and also on the Greenleft Weekly website at: http://www.greenleft.org.au/2007/728/37745

11.7 Mb. 96kbps. mono 17mins
Julie Webb, correspondent for Narco News (http://narconews.com) and Scoop (http://scoop.co.nz) returns to New Zealand after 18 months in Mexico, to find herself caught up in a wave of 'anti-terrorist' police actions. NZ police used anti-terrorist legislation to round up and intidate hundreds of people even remotely involved in any kind of social activism. Environmentalists, Maori elders (indeed, whole communities), and peace activists were all targetted in the illegal police raids which were timed to coincide with a parliamentary vote to strengthen 'anti-terrorist' legislation.

Julie's reports can be read at: http://www.narconews.com/Issue47/article2843.html

and: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0506/S00046.htm

and also on the Greenleft Weekly website at: http://www.greenleft.org.au/2007/728/37745

6.25 Mb. 128kbps mono  6:38mins.

Tim Anderson returns from a two week visit to Timor Leste just after the inauguration of the new government. But before we begin discussion on the economic and political problems of the new East Timorese government, Tim describes the sterling work and achievements of the 300 strong Cuban medical brigade to Timor Leste, and the training of over 800 East Timorese students who will be replacing them over the next ten years.

9Mb 128kbps mono 9mins.

The economic ideology of the new East Timorese government raises some concern over the future of the East Timorese Petroleum fund, designed to 'future proof' Timor Leste's economy and avoid the trap of the 'Resource Curse'.

3.5 Mb 64kbps mono 7:36 mins

Past and recent events seem to indicate that for many Timorese, the Australians may have worn out their welcome. And the Howard government is still trying push Timor Leste towards more privatisation (especially of land) and neo liberal economic policies.

3Mb. 64kbps mono 6:18 minutes

Tim provides background on some of the key players in the destabilising events of May - July last year. Was it a test of Fretilin's commitment to the people? Or does the Howard government deserve a serve for an opportunistic intervention?

6Mb 128kbps mono 6:33 mins.

Tim Anderson talks about the implications of new information about last year's coup plotters coming to light, and what it might mean to the future of the new Prime Minister, Xanana Gusmao.

16Mb. 96kbps mono 21:42 mins.

Jennifer Drysdale at the Centre for Environmental Studies at the Australian National University spent 2 years in Timor Leste researching the governance of East Timor's hard won petroleum resources. Now, with the new Timorese Parliament taking control of the Petroleum Fund she talks with Nimbin Community Radio 2NimFm about the past and future prospects for East Timor's budding economy. The lineup of political parties that kept Fretilin out of government campaigned strongly on accusations that Fretilin was 'holding out' on the petroleum fund. Yet, the new parliament shows no signs of changing the Fretilin policy. Jennifer's PhD. research turns Australian media preconceptions  on its head, indicating that the Fretilin policy was, in fact, what the people really wanted, and that Fretilin was actually responding to the popular will.

18Mb 128kbps mono 20 minutes
Latin Radical interviews Stuart Munkton from the Latin American desk of Greenleft Weekly. The US Administration is manoevring to depose Bolivia's first indigenous President Evo Morales using similar tactics to the ones they used in the attempted coup against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in 2002. Direct US intervention into Venezuelan politics was exposed by lawyer-writer Evea Golinger, who will be speaking at this years Latin America and Asia Pacific Forum on October 11-14, on her latest investigations into US designs on the government of Bolivia.

18.6Mb 64kbps 40minutes 45 seconds
Julie Webb has just returned after 9 months in Mexico where she worked as a correspondent for Narco-News, and a human rights observer on remote Zapatista communities. In that time she saw sub-commandante Marcos in action, met other Zapatista leaders, and was active in fending off violent attempts by landowners to  force Zapatista communities off their land and out of their homes. This was done using Zapatista tactics of non-violence. She observed the Zapatista movement supporting the 'other government'  - an alternative movement aiming for a government in Mexico based on grass roots democracy and indigenous traditions  - which is establishing itself all over Mexico. In the state of Oaxaca the 'Other Government' now ignores the State governor and runs much of the state from grass-roots community organisations. Julie is now in New Zealand and planning to return to Mexico soon.

5.2Mb. mono 64kbps 11:13 mins.

Jim Dunn, about to travel to Timor Leste as a consultant to the President of Timor Leste, Jose Ramos Horta, clears up some of the confusion there bout recent events.

7.74Mb. mono 64kbps 17 mins August 19 2007

4.4Mb mono 128kbps 13mins
Helen Hill analyses the payout against Fretilin in East Timor's post election crisis. It's not as simple as the Australian media makes it appear. Academic Helen steps back from the more turgid debates and takes a considered and well informed opinion about what's going on.

5.65 Mb. mono 64kbps 12:20 mins.
Interview with two Australian academics who have very different views on Timor Leste's constitutional crisis. Professor Damien Kingsbury has been very critical of the role of the Fretilin party and its General Secretary Mari Alkatiri. But Bob Boughton of the University of New England spent six months there observing the Presidential elections, and he has a different view. Meanwhile, interviews with Jim Dunn (who has just been asked to return as an advisor to President Jose Ramos Horta) and East Timorese leaders, are pending. Watch this space. Did Jose Ramos Horta make a wise decision in appointing Xanana Gusmao the Prime Minister? Australian mainstream media has its knickers in a knot over this one, but  it is no joke for the Timorese people.

10.784Mb. 128kbps mono 10:04 mins.
Jose Texeira, Parliamentarian for the East Timorese Fretilin party recently issued a press release claiming Australian media bias, after an anti-Howard demonstration in Timor Leste. Australian newspaper reports described the demonstrators as a 'Fretilin mob'.  Jose talks with community radio 2NimFM about a long history of anti-Fretilin bias by the Australian media, calling on his own experiences as long ago as 2005.
Phone interview from Dili.

3.85Mb. mono 128kbps 4:12 mins
NimFM talks with Fretilin representative Paolo Malik about the constitutional standoff in East Timor's post election environment. Fretilin has received the largest vote of any party, but all the other parties have combined to ensure that is does not have a parliamentary majority. East Timor's constitution (like that of European countries, like Portugal) allows that the party with the highest number of votes can chose the Prime Minister with the endorsement of the President, but the anti-Fretilin Alliance claims that they should chose the next PM. Meanwhile President Jose Ramos Horta refuses to commit, although it is well known that he favours the Alliance candidate.
NimFM then gets the views of expert East Timor observer Jim Dunn, who knows the actors in this drama.
[Note:Since these interviews, the Alliance has threatened to block the budget, if PM Ramos Horta approves the appointment of the Fretilin Prime Ministerial candidate.]

3.8 Mb 128 kbps  4:07 mins
Jim Dunn, human rights observer and columnist, talks to 2NimFM about the UN's decision to boycot the "Truth and Friendship Commission", set up to 'investigate' the responsibility of high ranking Indonesian military personnel for the mayhem that followed the 1999 East Timorese vote for independence from Indonesia, at the hands of Indonesian controlled 'militias'. Unfortunately, the condition that those called before it be granted impunity from prosecution has made it appear in the eyes of many - including the UN - as a mockery of natural justice.

10 Mb. 11mins.
Stuart Monkton of Greenleft Weekly talks about the aftereffects of the denial of licence renewal of RCTV; Venezuela's biggest Television media conglomerate. He explains why the Anglophone mainstream media interpretation of this as 'censorship' is disingenuous (if not downright dishonest) -  and how the refusal to disallow the license renewal to the commercial channel advantages public radio by freeing up formerly privately monopolised bandwidth.

Stuart also explains some of the astounding spinoff of Venezuela's socialisation program. Health programs which will put Venezuela light years ahead of the US health system, and an investment in the future with 18 new Universities. Venezuela is aiming to become less dependent on imports and using its resources  to become a skill based autonomous producer of goods and technologies that will empower the Third World to use its own resources to break away from US hegemony.

96Kbps mp3 (14.2MB) Stereo 00:20:48 mins.

(Spanish Language version 
- work on English language voice-over is under way).

(The narration sounds good, even if you don't understand Spanish!)

Sub Commandante Marcos banters with a crowd of enthralled children as he tells a political parable based around the story of a farting rock that travels the world with the help of the children of the Zapatista Autonomous School.A delightful sideline to the 6th Zapatista 'InterGalactica' Congress, with international guests and visitors from all over the world in consultation with representatives from peasant communities in the Zapatista 'Liberated Zones' in Chiapas, in southern Mexico.
Community Radio Station 2NimFM has the good fortune to be in touch with Julie Webb. Julie is an independent freelance journalist who has been sending sound files including these exclusive sessions with the Zapatista leader, Sub-Commandante Marcos, to 2NimFM via the internet within hours of them taking place.
This particular session is a gem. Marcos is famous in Mexico for his political fables, parables and allegories that are influenced by the decades he spent as a guerilla living clandestinely with the peasant communities of the Lacandon jungles of Chiapas, near the Guatemalan border.
 

[Perhaps his most famous creation is Durito  - . Durito (which is also Spanish for "tough little guy") is a dung beatle, versed in Hegelian philosophy, who Marcos caught stealing his tobacco one day. Durito gives Marcos lots of advice on Mexican and International politics, although Durito occasionally becomes impassioned and Quixotically rides out to be a champion for social justice on a tame tortoise called 'Pegasus'.  The tales of Durito can be found at http://www.actlab.utexas.edu/~zapatistas/sim.html]

Enjoy

10.2Mb 96kbps 15 mins Stereo
Australian independent journalist Julie Webb was present at the Zapatista Congress at Oventic this weekend, and captured a moving speech by the nominal leader of the Zapatista movement,  'Sub Commandante'  Marcos (or 'el Sup'' as he is affectionately known) and sent the sound file through cyberspace to Community Radio 2NimFM for immediate broadcast and podcast.
In his speech El 'Sup' addresses the struggle of the Yaqui Indians, in the Northeast of Mexico. While most 'Westerners' have only heard of the Yaqui Indians through the writings of Carlos Castaneda, describing his experiences with a Yaqui Shaman ("Don Juan - a Yaqui Way of Knowledge") Marcos describes the historical struggles of the Yaqui Indians, not only spiritually, but historically  - for cultural survival, and at this time, their struggle for land and even more importantly, water.
(In Spanish, but watch this spot  - English voiceover is on the way!)