Some have interrupted operations because of reasons predating the new president, but Milei’s measures have exacerbated their situation
La Voz Indígena (The Indigenous Voice), a radio station located in northern Argentina, ceased operations in November after a power outage damaged its equipment. Since then, the increase in energy bills and the rise of more than 100 per cent in transport fares has impeded the station from resuming operations.
‘It is not only the cost of electricity; people are unable to travel to the radio station from their communities, and thus, the programming cannot be maintained’, states Mariana Ortega, a researcher and a member of the station, made up of journalists from the Wichi, Toba Qom, Chorote, and Guaraní communities.
Indigenous radio stations across Argentina are struggling to operate due to rising internal costs, aggravated by an adverse economic climate and the policies implemented by the right-wing president Javier Milei.
In southern Patagonia, Petu Mogëleiñ (We are still alive), the radio from the Mapuche–Tehuelches peoples, interrupted operations for six months after its power transistor and the antenna were damaged. They held a raffle to gather the $700,000 Argentinian pesos ARS (around £600) needed to get back on air. ‘However, we’re facing the issue of the rising cost of bills. As community media, we survive thanks to individual contributions’, Jorge Millán, coordinator of the station, adds.
After a yearly inflation of almost 300 per cent and a 54 per cent currency devaluation in December, small enterprises are grappling with increased bills. La Voz Indígena, located in Salta province, near the Bolivian border, paid in March $26,000 ARS (£24) for electricity without broadcasting, mainly due to other social activities. In November, when the radio was still on air, it paid around $13,000 ARS (£28 at that time). Moreover, Wall Kintun TV, the only Indigenous television channel in the country and the fifth in the world, reduced its broadcasting in December.
Milei’s shock therapy plan, characterized by severe spending cuts to bring the financial deficit to zero, has so far had a profound impact on the power purchase after the removal of transport and energy subsidies. Inflation is slowing down, but social indicators remain worrying, with one in five living in extreme poverty, according to a recent report from the Argentine Catholic University.
The situation concerning Indigenous issues is equally severe. Milei’s government was denounced in May at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York. Nilo Cayuqueo, on behalf of 35 Indigenous peoples, warned of the extreme vulnerability of their communities and accused the government of putting them at further risk.
Plain chainsaw
Although the economic struggle of Indigenous media predates the new president, the policies Milei has implemented exacerbate their situation. ‘Sustainability is a permanent challenge; the situation from December onwards has been very difficult for us’, said José Sajama, coordinator of FM Pachakuti (the time to be ourselves again), a radio station from the Kolla community in the northern province of Jujuy.
Among several radios, Pachakuti and Petu Mogëleiñ benefited in previous years with public funding from the Competitive Development Fund for Audio-Visual Media (FOMECA in its Spanish acronym). Through this programme, Indigenous and community media were able to apply periodically for funding to cover equipment, training, and content production. The Milei administration suspended the programme due to alleged irregularities. However, it plans to reinstate it soon, according to government sources.
Unlike traditional news organisations, Indigenous media do not have access to state advertising and having private sponsors represents a challenge in local communities. They must rely therefore on alternative sources of funding such as raffles, fundraising events, and donations. In a few cases, some media belonging to Indigenous NGOs have managed to raise other funds or apply for international support.
Based on the last census in 2022, Argentina has more than 1.3 million Indigenous people, representing 2.9 percent of the population of more than 45 million people. Additionally, 99 radio stations from Indigenous communities are authorised to operate in the country, according to an official response to a Freedom of Information Request submitted for this article. However, it is unclear how many of them are still operating and under what conditions.
As non-profit social organisations, Indigenous media are considered public but non-state media since Law 26,522 on Audio-Visual Communication Services was approved in 2009. Although it established direct funding from the federal government, such as the resources provided by the National Institute for Indigenous Affairs, these sources were never made available.
The Public Defender’s Office of Audiovisual Communication Services, a legal authority responsible for defending audience rights, has expressed concern. ‘The situation is highly complex, especially for those lacking external funding, which is already scarce. The procedures for media access to these resources are so unclear that they might as well have an expiration date. Without improvements, the quality of their content will deteriorate,’ says Sebastian Janeiro, coordinator of the Media Accompaniment Area.
Out of public policy
Indigenous communities were excluded from Milei’s public policy to the extent that he suggested the closure of the National Institute for Indigenous Affairs. He also changed the name of the Indigenous Peoples’ Hall of the Government House to the ‘Heroes of the Malvinas [Falklands]’ Government House.
The context appears to be challenging. The Government closed the National Institute of Family, Peasant and Indigenous Agriculture, and some politicians have presented a bill proposing Law 26160 is repealed. This bill concerns the territorial survey of Indigenous communities, which generates documentation for a future Community Land Ownership Law.
Moreover, territorial conflicts are a subject of concern for Indigenous peoples in Argentina. In recent years they have intensified as a result of opposition to extractivism projects, the lack of recognition of Indigenous peoples’ demands and some violent episodes.
In light of this, Carlos Catrileo, a journalist from the Indigenous reader-funded news site Originarios, believes that communities should, whenever possible, leverage new technologies to share their stories and engage in the ‘battle over narratives.’
As Indigenous media continue to navigate these difficult circumstances, their voices become increasingly significant in their communities. Magdalena Doyle, Indigenous Media expert and PhD in Anthropology from the University of Buenos Aires, highlights their role and emphasises how these media were born under the concept of what the United Nations considers the ‘right to the truth’: the right to narrate their ‘own experiences as victims of ongoing violence.’
The Argentine presidency and the Institute for Indigenous Affairs did not respond to a request for comment for this article.
Diego Sanchez is an Argentinian journalist currently pursuing an Erasmus Mundus Journalism Master’s degree at Aarhus University and City, University of London.