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.

8 August 2013 | Interviews | Social activists at risk

Old and New Tendencies

Interview with Gustavo Castro of Friends of the Earth Mexico at 10th Meeting of MAPDER

Real World Radio interviewed Gustavo Castro of Otros Mundos-Friends of the Earth Mexico at the 10th meeting of the Movement Against Dams and for Rivers (MAPDER) held in Amatlan de los Reyes, Veracruz, Mexico from August 2 to 4. He said the fight against dams is not only against the State or the multilateral Banks but against transnational corporations which, thanks to law and constitutional reforms, are able to generate and control their own energy. Read more
4 August 2013 | News | Social activists at risk

Urgent Solidarity with Mexican People

Activist Murdered as 10th National Meeting Against Dams and for Rivers Kicks Off

When the Mexican Movement of People Affected by Dams and For Rivers (MAPDER) was about to begin its 10th meeting on Friday, August 2nd, to mark the 10th anniversary of the struggle against water privatization in Mexico, it became known that Noé Vazquez Ortiz, a 30 year-old local leader that was participating in the event was stoned to death while preparing for the opening ceremony. Read more
29 July 2013 | Interviews | Social activists at risk

Against All Odds

The International Arbitration Model and its Impact on Human Rights

The Latin American coordinator of the Inter-American Platform for Human Rights, Democracy and Development (PIDHDD) Pablo de la Vega, exposed the “combined strategy of several transnational corporations, law firms specialized in arbitration, and even experts on these issues, to file legal complaints against States”. Read more
22 July 2013 | Testimonies | Social activists at risk

Threats and Vulnerability

Colombia: Members of Rios Vivos Movement in Medellin Received Death Threats

One of the leaders of the communities of people displaced by Hidroituango Project recently received a death threat in Medellin, Colombia. Read more
16 July 2013 | Interviews | Criminalization of COPINH | Free Honduras | Social activists at risk

Desperate and Criminal Act

Honduran Army Kills Indigenous Leader of COPINH Who Resisted Dam in Rio Blanco

On Monday July 15th, while the Lenca community of Rio Blanco, in Honduras, marked 106 days of resistance to the building of Agua Zarca hydroelectric dam, the Army indiscriminately shot at the demonstrators killing one of the leaders of the resistance, Tomas Garcia, and seriously injuring his son (photo). Read more
15 July 2013 | News | Land grabbing | Social activists at risk

“Doesn’t it Look Like Genocide?”

Social Movements Demanded Immediate Withdrawal of Troops from Haiti

In parallel to the Summit of the Common Market of the South (Mercosur) and associated countries, Argentinean and Uruguayan social organizations organized a day of mobilization in solidarity with the Haitian people last Friday in Montevideo, Uruguay. The event focused on the withdrawal of the troops of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) that have been in the country for almost a decade. Read more
10 July 2013 | Interviews | Land grabbing | Social activists at risk

Corporate Desecration

Guatemala: Social Movements Confronted with the Most Violent Face of Neoliberalism

Peasant leader Daniel Pascual speaks about last weekend’s detention and trial of another three leaders who were taking part in peaceful protests against mining projects in Guatemala. The projects had already been rejected in popular consultations. He also speaks about the particular moment the social movements of the Central American country are going through. Read more
2 July 2013 | Interviews | Free Honduras | Land grabbing | Social activists at risk | 6th International Conference of La Via Campesina

Fighting for power through the use of “political weapons”

Interview with Wendy Cruz, from Vía Campesina Central America

“We must create dignity and equity conditions for peasant women all around the globe”, said Wendy Cruz to Real World Radio. She is the representative of Vía Campesina Central America. This Honduran leader shared with us her viewpoint on the situation of peasant women around the globe and about the challenge of gender equality in the fight for food sovereignty. Read more
27 June 2013 | Interviews | Social activists at risk

Damages and dispossession

Indigenous communities threatened by consortium of miners in Colima, Mexico. Interview with Esperanza Salazar, from M4.

Nobody is listening. Neither the Mexican institutions, which are supposed to watch over the rights of indigenous communities whenever their basic rights are in danger, nor the institutions that must prevent environmental damages. Every day, the consortium of miners Peña Colorada extracts 16,000 tons of material for iron production using huge amounts of water in the Mexican state of Colima. In order to increase the production, the consortium is planning to expel three Nahua-Otomi indigenous communities and threatens to bury them under poisonous waste. Read more
27 June 2013 | Interviews | Social activists at risk | 6th International Conference of La Via Campesina

Watchful and ready for the struggle

Interview with Alberto Gomez, from Via Campesina

“70% of the food that all human beings can find on their tables is elaborated by us, peasants, artisanal fishermen, people who work on urban agriculture”, said Alberto Gomez, leader of Via Campesina Mexico and a renowned member of Via Campesina International. Read more