The Jungle Radio

The Jungle Radio takes us deep into the jungle of Nicaragua, where feminist Yamileth Chavarría has launched a radio station with a unique mission: denouncing rife domestic violence against women and children. Having been threatened several times herself, she does not shrink from pillorying men that commit such abuses.

After hurricane Mitch had devastated the country back in 1998, Chavarría launched the radio station ‘Palabra de Mujer’ (Women’s Voices). Even though the hurricane cut a number of  jungle villages off from the outside world, people could transmit personal messages to their family and friends over the radio.
Radio is more than just an alternative for telephone, however. In her daily show ‘The Messenger Witch’, Chavarría rebukes the local perpetrators of domestic (and sexual) violence by name, thereby criticizing the local court’s sluggishness. Although Chavarría receives many death threats, she refuses to give in to intimidation: “If they shoot me on the air, everyone will hear it.”
Besides interviews with Chavarría and footage of the radio station, The Jungle Radio features conversations with village residents, both male and female, contains musical performances by local bands and highlights activities of the Womens Centre, also founded by Chavarría.