Social activists at risk - Real World Radio

Features / Social activists at risk

In this section Real World Radio aims to expose the murders of social activists and the cases of death threats against leaders. We will report on the wave of criminalization of the social protest. This new section of Real World Radio is also a memorial page for all those who were murdered in their struggle for a socially just world.

This special section is funded in part by the European Commission.

19 February 2014 | News | All for the release of the political prisoners of Santa Cruz Barillas | Social activists at risk

Guatemala: Santa Cruz Barillas hearings postponed, while the government authorizes new dam projects

Judicial noncompliance, planned “mistakes”, and pressure over families and people involved add up to the two year ordeal of eight indigenous political prisoners from Santa Cruz Barillas. Read more
13 February 2014 | Interviews | Criminalization of COPINH | Free Honduras | Social activists at risk | Berta lives on!

Interview with Bertha Cáceres of COPINH

A tense joy amid serious human rights situation in Honduras

The coordinator of the Civil Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH) Bertha Caceres told Real World Radio that the solidarity at national and international level was key for the definitive dismissal ruled on Monday on the case led by the Santa Barbara Court, Santa Barbara municipality. Read more
6 February 2014 | Interviews | Social activists at risk

Colombian social leaders threatened in the run-up to elections and People´s Agrarian Summit; Interview with Eberto Diaz (Fensuagro)

A few days after the peace dialogues between the insurgency and the Colombian government were resumed amid the electoral campaign for the May 25 elections, paramilitary groups threatened leaders of the peasant movement of the country, whose social mobilization plans will increase in the next weeks. Read more
29 January 2014 | Interviews | Social activists at risk

Friends of the Earth Ukraine analyzes the serious situation faced by the country

Activist Pavlo Khazan, of Friends of the Earth Ukraine, denounced on Wednesday the cooperation between the Police and thugs against the demonstrations that are taking place in the city of Dnipropetrovsk. He also made reference to torture in prisons and that the organization has no information about their colleague Vadim Shebanov, arrested on Sunday, during a peaceful protest. Not even Shebanov´s lawyers are allowed to go to the prison to find out about Shebanov, said Khazan. Read more
28 January 2014 | News | Social activists at risk

“Abhorrent Violence in Ukraine”

Warnings about anti-democratic legislation and detention of activists during peaceful protests

On Monday, environmental federation Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) demanded the immediate release of activist Vadim Shebanov, member of Friends of the Earth Ukraine, arrested on Sunday together with other demonstrators during a peaceful protest in the city of Dnipropetrovsk. Read more
23 January 2014 | News | Social activists at risk

Violent advances of Goldcorp in Guatemala amid growing rejection

The Mayan Sipakapense Council of Guatemala, member of the Council of Western Peoples, has denounced the Montana Exploradora mining company for usurping more areas of indigenous territory. The company is a national subsidiary of Canadian Goldcorp and owner of the Marlin open pit gold mine in San Miguel Ixatahuacán, San Marcos department. Read more
15 January 2014 | Interviews | Criminalization of COPINH | Free Honduras | Social activists at risk | Berta lives on!

Honduran Appeals Court overturns ruling that criminalized Coordinator and two members of COPINH

The Appeals Court of Comayagua, Honduras, overturned a judicial ruling of September that established a jail sentence for the Coordinator of the Civil Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), Bertha Cáceres, and alternative measures for two other members of the organization, Tomás Gómez and Aureliano Molina. Read more
24 December 2013 | News | Land grabbing | Social activists at risk

How Seeds Were Privatized in Colombia: A Documentary by Victoria Solano

The documentary 970 tells the story of a group of Colombian peasants who had 70 tons of rice seized and destroyed by the government to defend the interests of transnational corporations under the Free Trade Agreement Colombia signed with the United States. Read more
17 December 2013 | Interviews | Social activists at risk

Direct Democracy

Tatiana Roa Speaks About The Popular Consultation that Prevented Oil Exploitation in Colombia’s Water Sources

Learning that a community consultation can take place in Colombia is great news, in a country where social demonstration has been historically repressed, even with extermination. It is even more significant because it implies a decision against an oil project. Read more
28 November 2013 | Community Radios | Free Honduras | Social activists at risk

The Road Ahead

Honduras After the Election Fraud. Testimony of Berta Oliva, Coordinator of the Committee of Relatives of the Detained and Disappeared (COFADEH)

The general coordinator of the Committee of Relatives of the Detained and Disappeared of Honduras (COFADEH), Berta Oliva, told La Radio Sur news website that after Sunday’s election fraud, the future of social activists in Honduras is at higher risk. Read more