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 Several hundred mayors and Congresspersons have withdrawn from the elections in protest, asserting that the coup regime is simply staging the elections to claim false legitimacy and recognition.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.

Hello again gentle listener. This week we celebrate the lives of two great muses... Daddy Cool and Les Paul. We smuggly contemplate the collapse of the Tower of Power and the spineless excuse-making from the police. The Repco Rally gets another decent slice of scorn and it's all mixed and mulled with some tasty musical biscuits. Once again, it's a large cod we've pasted so patience while you're downloading. Cheers.

Welcome gentle listener. It's been far too long since we got together, our fault, not yours. This week Jack & Bob discuss the ILLEGALLY erected POLICE TOWER! We also think of new and innovative ways to peacefully disrupt the planned Repco World Rally. PLUS, we reveal the true and ephemeral nature of money. Plus the usual sift-through of events, both local and global. And to finish off, we give you the winning performance from the Nimbin Performance Poetry World Cup, Benna Zennabomb!! The entire show is fully encapsulated in one larger than average pod so even though the download is bigger it is well worth it. Join us.

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.

61Mb. 128kbps mono 66 minutes 45 seconds

(Warning  - this file is larger than usual to preserve the fidelity of the music. A smaller, compressed version will be posted shortly for audiences with slower download speeds)

David Rovics gave a riveting performance to an appreciative audience in Lismore on Sunday August 9, at the Winsome Hotel. Challenging, entertaining, informative  ... David's performance is informed with strength, skill, and integrity. Anyone with a social conscience would have to come away from a performance by David feeling that they have shared some of that strength and sense of commitment.

15.5MB 128kbps mono 17 minutes

An extraordinary interview with David Rovics, musician, songwriter, activist and world traveller. He brought a world of experience from his travels and his activism to Lismore Sunday August 9 with a strong performance from heart and head. A local audience was enthused and informed with his commitment, and an honest well worked performance.

David's current Australian tour (he has been doing gigs nightly over the last fortnight, and will be performing in various venues in Sydney next week) has been in support of the Palestinian people. In this frank interview with community radio he refers to some of his experiences in Palestine and Israel, as well as the situation of music and musicians in how change may occur.

3Mb mono 56kbps 7:35mins

2NimFM community radio managed to catch David Rovics for a phone interview from a coffee shop in Melbourne in the middle of his intensive tour of Australia in support of the people of Palestine. David is coming to Lismore Sunday night August 9 to perform at the Winsome Hotel with other artists. Details of his tour, and his career as a committed singer of social protest can be found on his website; http://www.davidrovics.com/
Community Radio 2NimFM will be broadcasting another, longer interview with some examples of his music, early next week.

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.

7m40s, 1.8MB

2008-12-23 Tues

*The changing face of Nimbin, What will be happening to the NRMA, + the block of shops its in; the Butcher, the Baker, & the Hard Wok Cafe???????????????????*......................*The latest on the mysterious burnt out Land Rover*

8m35s, 2MB

2008-12-22 Mon

*Locals calm machete wielding man*.............................*Solstice Day at Mingle Park, inc interview with Kara*

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.

4m53s, 1.2MB

2008-12-16 Tues

*Extreme technical difficulties at NimFM*........................*Tuntable Falls Fair report*...........................*Swallows leave Hemp Embassy*........................*Summer Solstice Celebration @ Mingle Park on Sunday*...................*Ian's car gets a roadworthy cert.*

7m54s, 1.8MB

2008-12-15 Mon

*Rape in Nimbin* .........................*Much police anti-drug activity*

5m53s, 1.4MB

2008-12-9 Tues

*End of Chopper raids*...............................*More on the missing chairs at the Pizza Shop*

4m54s, 1.2MB

2008-12-8 Mon

*What's happened to the outdoor seats at the Pizza Shop?*...................*Happy Birthday to Donna Marie Swan*

with (L -R): Ron, Rick

 

(51 mins, 11.5MB)

 

Self Love, an introduction… a world first  –  simply, a beautiful original presentation of discovery showing how we can get back to who we were meant to be: healed, whole and infinitely free…  a tribute to his spiritual teacher Greyfeather by Ron Stevens  –  with Rick Waddy as presenter of the late evening’s show.

9m30s, 2.2MB

2008-12-02 Tues

*Is 'Operation Mickey' going to recommence from the 6th????*...................*new Community Broadcasters Code of Practice out now*.........................*Snake Story*

6m31s, 1.5MB

2008-12-01 Mon

*Community Centre now owned by Community*

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.