Creating radio for a new El Salvador

September 15, 1993
Issue 

The following interview with NESTOR LARA, of Radio Farabundo Marti, was conducted in San Salvador by MATTHEW ABUD.

Could you tell us how Radio Farabundo Marti grew up during the years of war: what were some of the major problems that you faced?

Our first transmission was in 1982. This was the result of a lot of effort of many people. When we began the transmissions, then only did we know that radio is not only the equipment. Really radio is the process when you are trying to get communication with the people.

Our first transmission was from El Jicaro. After we moved to the mountains for the real installation underground. That was a big hole, and in that hole we installed the generator, the transmitter — we had only the antennas outside. This is a very interesting engineering design, because you have gas and noise and you have to solve the problem how to limit the noise and how to get fresh air inside.

Our first signal was in short wave. Our power was about two kilowatts. With that power we covered the country — not a strong signal, but with some effort you can pick it up.

Our radio was designed to try to break the information isolation of the people. Our programs were normally information that the commercial radio and the official radio never gave.

What emphasis do the peace agreements between the Salvadoran government and FMLN forces give to the popular media services? What rights are granted to Radio Farabundo Marti?

One very important part of the agreement was the media. We felt the media are the second power: one is the state and the other is the propaganda. The agreements legalised our radios, and made a new situation where the people can open new radios.

In El Salvador there are a lot of radios, a lot of TV channels. They are in very few hands. The effort in this discussion with the government was to really break this monopoly.

Are the agreements being complied with — the legalisation and opening up of space for the popular media?

Our radio is legalised, we have a frequency, and we have really opened the doors. We have some commercial movement: the social organisations have some announcements, the government is paying for some time (we have some milk announcements).

The sectors which have the real power are not very motivated to continue with this peace process, and they're trying to break it. But inside the government there are some differences. There is a sector which is trying to stop the process and another sector which has a concept of a new country.

We have relations with the sector which is trying to open the doors. They are giving us some space, but the other sector make threats, normally by phone: we will destroy your radio, we will place a bomb, we will kill you.

What role are the alternative media playing in promoting the peace agreements and national reconstruction, for example with the national civilian police which are being established to replace the old security forces?

Normally the commercial radios cannot do many things. We don't have that commercial compromise and can say many things which other radios can't. We receive phone calls where the people say: you have to say this, please explain this. The radio is very important because it's the reference of the people.

About the national civilian police, we are trying to motivate the people, especially the young people, to join. Because a lot of people have questions: what kind of police is this, what can be my role? Normally if you say "police" here, immediately you have a negative image, and we have to change this idea.

How are the commercial or government media services treating these issues?

Journalists suffered a lot during the war. Many journalists were killed by the army, and this sector was sensitive to the problems of the people, the repression, the social conditions.

You can find this feeling in the news sections of different radios, but not because the radio wants to. It's because the journalists are very sensitive about this situation, and they cannot hide this information.

Other projects are being developed, for example in community radio. What are they hoping to achieve?

Our motivation when we built Radio Farabundo was to try to change this country, to make it more democratic. In this peace process, we have to build new radio stations which have a very strong relation with the people.

It's not possible with only one national radio like Radio Farabundo. We have to help the people, the communities, to build their own radio. Then we can have a coordinated network so the people can have a strong relation with the open radio.

Maybe we can find some way, for example, to transmit the national news or another important part of the programming, but combined with the local programs. So you can cover the national need for information, but you can create that strong relation with the people.

Looking towards the elections in March 1994, what kinds of problems do you see in the level of campaign experience in the alternative media?

We have very little experience in this. But when we began the war it was the same. And we think, with the people, we have the capacity to prepare for this campaign.

Now that US military aid is no longer necessary for the government, what role do you think other kinds of US aid could play?

US aid can play a good role if they use it to help the peace process. For sure the ultraright has no hope in this process; they want to use this help to increase the repression, to increase the psychological war against the people. But the help of the United States can play a very good role, but only if they think that we have to define what we want to build in our country.

The United States for sure will try to help their friends. Maybe they will try to block our forces. But I think the United States know the FMLN are a very real force in El Salvador; they cannot play with us.

We are optimistic in this process, especially because we think we can capture the spirit of the people. The people have a lot of hopes in our struggle, and now in these conditions they have more facilities for integrating into the struggle.

Finally, what do you think is necessary to make sure that the elections are democratic and in the spirit of the agreements?

We have to struggle a lot still, but we have all the conditions. In this human rights struggle, the social and economic struggle, we have the strength here, but it's very important to have the broad solidarity of the peoples. To broaden the solidarity movement is very, very important.

Everyone has a role to play, and I think that in the future the new El Salvador will be the result of the effort of a lot of people, not only the Salvadoran people; it will be a big triumph for the international community.

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