The radio belongs to the Peasant Movement of Santiago del Estero (MOCASE), which is part of
the National Indigenous Peasant Movement (MNCI) and La Via Campesina. Two years ago Paj
Sachama, which works on solar panels in indigenous community El Retiro (80km from Nueva
Esperanza), had been assaulted with Molotov bombs.

At the time, and according to an MNCI press release, two unknown people entered in the radio
premises and threatened the radio hosts, by pointing heavy guns at them. They then destroyed the
studio, the equipment and the radio facilities. “They threw everything to the floor, they broke down the radio transmitter”. The assaulters then ran away on a van that was waiting outside.

“We believe that the intellectual author of the assault is the mayor of Monte Quemado (Carlos
Hazam)” MOCASE and MNCI leader, Ángel Strapazzón, told RWR.

“A month and a half Hazam said that one of the goals of his new four-year term in office was to
destroy MOCASE and its presence in the countryside, because it was the one preventing progress, businessmen and investments”, said Strapazzon. “Therefore, even though Hazam may not have directly sent this van with hit men, he was clearly the intellectual author behind this, letting the businessman hire the bullies”, he explained. He also blamed the judge of Monte Quemado.

Paj Sachama operates during six hours during the day and it reports the atrocities committed by
businessmen and police forces against rural workers. This is an area of Santiago del Estero where thousands of peasant families live, which are strongly resisting the political and business power. The radio station gives voice to the families who are under threat.

The MNCI ended its press release by asking the provincial government to send “clear signs” in
response to the “wave of violent incidents that have taken place” against members of the MOCASE-Via Campesina communities.

Saturday’s assault is “good and a bad news” at the same time, said Strapazzon. “It means that
we are hurting, bothering, questioning and remain insurgent towards an inhumane system. This
obviously bothers the interests of the most powerful”, he explained. The leader, one of MOCASE- MNCI’s most renowned figures, acknowledged that the movement is concerned about the systematic assaults, especially suffered by children and young people, as it happened on Saturday. There was a strong self-criticism within the government, because the assault caught them off guard.

Strapazzon has clear reasons to explain why the incident happened against the peasant movement
of Santiago del Estero. “These are the costs we have to pay. Situations like this one are part of the
political choices we make. There is no doubt that the world and the capitalist civilization refuse to
change into other more humane, more just ways of life. So they take it upon the ones who are not
just passive spectators, but actors trying to create something new”.

Photo: http://www.larevolucionvive.org.ve