Text: Florencia Curci
Originally published on 3/4.sk
– From Medellín, Colombia, here. HK4, Alfa, Delta, Juliet, Alejo Duque, greeting Florencia in Buenos Aires.
– Lima Uniform 3 here, Charlie Uniform Romeo greeting Alejo. Looking forward to free media challenging monoculture.
I met Alejo Duque at a Latin American experimental radio gathering that I organised in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 2023. At the time, I was still working at Radio CASo, an experimental radio station under the auspices of Argentina’s Ministry of Culture. During that trip, we had several conversations about communication infrastructures, open-source culture and community-driven media. We discussed the potential of free radio as a tool for empowerment, and it was incredibly inspiring for my future practice.
Alejo runs radiolibre.cc, a project rooted in the principles of free software and open culture. It brings together initiatives that explore digital communication, champion the free circulation of knowledge and culture, highlighting the importance of freedom of expression within Latin America’s complex political and geographical landscape.
In our conversations, we discussed how local networks and free software enable communities to adapt technologies to their specific needs, safeguarding their privacy and preserving the narratives of oral cultures – be they indigenous communities, underground city cultures, popular music or other forms of expression.
The idea for this interview came to me after Argentina’s government, now led by the right-wing populist Javier Milei, through its Secretary of Culture, requested the cessation of activities at Radio CASo. That was the moment when I truly realised that, as long as there is an owner of the media, they will have the power to shut it down (or restrict it).
A few months after this request, Radio CASo, in a resilient move, changed its website and began operating using radiolibre.cc’s infrastructure, now as a community station.
At a time when “social networks” are controlled by corporate media giants that manipulate political campaigns in fragile democracies, spaces like radiolibre.cc have become more than just communication tools. In that sense, this conversation critically addresses publishing and sharing knowledge, emphasising the need for free media to challenge dominant communication structures and foster truly critical actions.
Florencia Curci
What moment would you choose to revisit to narrate the story of radiolibre.cc?
Alejo Duque
This image serves as a starting point for our discussion about radiolibre.cc and free radios. The city in the background is Medellín, and this is the terrace of a friend’s house – a colleague from a community network aimed at creating an internet connection. However, it wasn’t a commercial internet; it was more like a small, private cloud for exchanging music files, images and stories as well as for chatting.
Back in 2003, blogs were just starting to emerge. We managed to hack and repurpose an internet router, allowing us to install programmes and tailor them to the community’s needs. Unfortunately, it was too early for most people to connect to our network as only a few of us had computers with wireless cards.
Despite this, we set up several networks throughout Medellín, a city known for its distinctive orange-roofed houses. We utilised the terraces to create a “roof-to-roof” network – providing free internet access. This experience was invaluable, as it was all done using Linux, which introduced us to the world of free software.
FC
How exactly was this done?
AD
This device was a Linksys WRT54G router that we manipulated and modified. We increased its memory and created a captive portal, which is a landing page that greets you when you connect. We started working hard on that. The network was called Medellín Wireless or Medellín Inalámbrico, and it was also known as Alt Red, an alternative network that grew on a national scale. This was a network that we managed to expand to Bogotá, Bucaramanga and Barranquilla, and to other places in Colombia.
SeattleWireless, a movement of free community networks inspired by the social movement in Seattle (linked to the anti-globalisation protests and the massive strike against the 1999 summit), was the first to hack the WRT54G access point. This exploit allowed other free network communities to appropriate and repurpose the device.
This enabled the device to be reprogrammed by flashing its firmware, which is the instruction to the factory settings. With the free firmware, the router was able to increase its transmission power and an SD card could be added, allowing for greater data storage. In this way, a portable community could be created: you simply connected the device anywhere and provided wireless access to people nearby. At that time, solutions like PirateBox didn’t exist yet, making this an innovative way to leverage technology.
FC
What kind of actions do you use it for? What information was circulating?
AD
We worked intensively with Live CDs, which are Linux systems on CD-ROMs, and later on DVDs that ran free software and helped connect communities. One of these versions, which I called “Planktum”, was created for the Festival of Free Software Installation (FLISOL). I developed it over the years to function as a pre-installed operating system on computers, allowing people to connect and stream. During the festival, we managed to link several cities in South America, including participants from Bolivia, Ecuador and Argentina who were using Planktum based on Slackware.
Inspired by borderless movements and resistance, we created several versions, recovering old computers. We also established a television channel called FLISOL TV, which spread throughout Latin America. We set up a streaming platform that connected cities like Quito, Córdoba (Argentina), Arequipa and Bogotá with the support of local Linux user groups. Although the audience wasn’t massive, we managed to connect multiple cities and foster an exchange of knowledge and free culture. This evolved beyond simple audio streaming; it became a community of sharing and collaboration within the free culture. We also organised events with artists in spaces like museums. We laid the groundwork for the development of free radio by creating a server that allowed different groups and communities to connect their projects. This took place between 2004 and 2007. In the 2007 edition, participation increased significantly, and the content shared began to focus much more strongly on social and political activism.
It was only with the arrival of the pandemic that there was a complete shift towards technologies enabling us to communicate at a distance, which became part of everyday life. They became essential for people to work, communicate and exchange. We have been doing this since 2003 when we started working with streaming using free software.
FC
Why did you make this differentiation at the moment when they became activists?
AD
At first, we were very naive, discovering technology and not fully understanding the strengths of appropriating it. We knew we needed to create our media to communicate without restrictions, inspired by Indymedia’s slogan: “Do your own media.” Over time, we realised that the content of our network was becoming more political and social, addressing sensitive issues, such as politics, paramilitaries and guerrilla warfare in Colombia. This led to taking on a deeper social responsibility without falling into censorship.
The need for free radio became evident as this infrastructure allows for the creation of various types of radios without content restrictions. Radiolibre.cc serves as a platform for diverse projects, including initiatives from former FARC combatants and at-risk communities.¹ This helped us to understand the importance of radio and prompted us to build FM transmitters, which in turn taught us about electronics and wave production.
We conducted several workshops during which we learned to create our own transmission devices. As we progressed, we began exploring higher frequencies, including satellite signals, as well as building antennas to capture those transmissions. This expanded our capabilities and deepened our understanding of communication through different technologies.
FC
How far can this free infrastructure reach?
AD
It was by asking myself this question that I ended up off the ground, contacting satellites. Satellites are a form of infrastructure that are above us, providing coverage in various areas. For example, the Galaxy 28 satellite, which enables us to watch television, has a footprint that includes Medellín. Noticing the colonising presence of these satellites – broadcasting military or entertainment content – I began to research them further.
I built antennas that operate on military frequencies of 250-260 MHz using common construction materials. With these antennas, a connector and a scanner, I was able to listen to satellite transmissions, which changed my relationship with radio for at least a decade. For instance, I monitored a satellite operating at 259.700 MHz during the launch of a space shuttle. Instead of astronauts, I heard paramedics in a Hercules aircraft, ready to assist in case of an emergency.
I was able to pick up all the preparations of the paramedic teams flying from Germany and Zaragoza, just as the rocket launched from Cape Canaveral, approximately 15 minutes before its trajectory approached Europe. I also have interesting photos of moments when the International Space Station and the space shuttle were separating. These events showed how, when coinciding with sunset, you could observe two streaks in the sky, representing the orbits of both.
That photo is interesting. Capturing it isn’t easy, and now it’s no longer possible since the space shuttle has ceased flying. The flights were stopped under Obama’s administration due to high costs. Instead of continuing with the shuttles, NASA was instructed to contract private companies. This is where Elon Musk (SpaceX) and several other companies come in, having invested millions to provide the services that NASA used to perform. Now, instead of NASA investing in its rockets, companies like Musk’s have secured multimillion dollar contracts.
FC
How can listening to satellite communications contribute to our independence? It offers information not originally addressed to you. Can you see ways of interacting with that information or use the infrastructure?
AD
Look at this unusual antenna we built with copper tape. We got creative, thinking: “Let’s hit the big time by listening to a US military satellite whose frequencies we discovered were broadcasting from Brazil.” From Colombia, we aimed to connect with communities in Brazil and establish an alternative infrastructure. This is a complete appropriation of technology and a form of civil disobedience as we’re often taught to fear such actions, believing that they’re illegal or dangerous because they involve a military satellite.
Despite our fears, we investigated and sought to reclaim our right to the airwaves, as we’re a people heavily colonised by various forms of violence. It’s important to understand how to liberate, block or appropriate these waves.
Look at the picture of the mountain filled with various antennas – communications, military, entertainment and meteorological – all reflecting how our world is mediated by waves. While we may not directly perceive these waves, we can capture them through devices, allowing us to explore this invisible spectrum, which drives our interest in listening for sounds beyond the ordinary.
FC
This colonisation, or rather this dependence, is evident in cases such as the Egyptian media during the Arab Spring of 2011.
AD
Egypt is a notable example, where the government cut off the internet during the protests in 2011. At that moment, we realised we could use satellites to restore communications and receive news. I’ve got some files related to this, although they’re not online. The antennas we built, using simple materials like wooden sticks, allowed us to listen to a US satellite linking Europe, Africa and parts of South America.
We were listening through a web SDR, which allows users to tune into various frequencies using internet radio. During the situation with Mubarak, when he cut off internet access, I accessed these sites, particularly radios located in Greece, closer to Egypt. Through Telecomix and various activist networks, faxes and emails were sent to people in Egypt, encouraging them to use radio and amateur radio operators to send news, share their situation or request help.
I spent nights tuning into frequencies from that region and forwarded the information through the free radio server, allowing people in the Indymedia and Telecomix chat groups to listen and help decipher messages from those communicating in Egypt. We received everything, including Morse code. At one point, we had about 160 people connected to the stream, holding discussions in the chat, with four individuals decoding Morse code in real time. We were always trying to find ways to connect with a country that had been disconnected by an internet switch located in servers in Miami. This highlighted how vulnerable our communication infrastructures are – they’re far from free.
FC
If the Hertzian area over the territories belongs to the countries, who owns the space where the satellites are hosted?
AD
This reminds me of a fundamental project, namely the Bogotá Declaration, which was signed in 1976 by nine countries, including Brazil, Colombia, the Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Indonesia, Kenya, Uganda and Zaire. The declaration claimed the right to access the extra-terrestrial orbit, a concept that emerged after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957.
That launch marked the beginning of the space race and led to a shared understanding that orbital space should be considered a common heritage of humanity. Instead of responding militarily, nations united to declare that the orbits of geostationary satellites are a collective heritage.
The Bogotá Declaration is similar to the Declaration of Human Rights; although it’s well-written and conveys a noble message, it often lacks effectiveness in practice.
It’s like a love letter that never reaches its destination, reflecting the challenges of implementing principles that should be respected in all situations.
Orbits belong to humanity, but they’re predominantly controlled by the part of humanity that is 15 to 20 years ahead in technological development.
FC
In the context of our conversations, I’d like to ask you about the publication policy of the projects you mentioned. In your work, which uses open technologies and free code, how does information circulate? How much importance do you attach to making these projects open?
AD
At one point, I was heavily involved in the community, working with free software, and we needed to gather together to develop. We discovered various technologies, like IRC and Mumble, and these gatherings were essential for teaching and sharing. This social layer encouraged us to document everything in a wiki-style format, much like Wikipedia.
For example, I recently revisited a page that served as a solid record of our efforts. There was also a platform called n-1, created mainly by Spaniards and some people from the Netherlands, which was a great alternative to Facebook. It helped connect us with the Landless Workers’ Movement in Brazil.
There’s a significant layer of opacity within this framework, however. We know that some information is better kept within our small community rather than made public. Keeping certain details hidden can strengthen our positions, as they don’t have to face the pressure of transparency. This is also a way to protect our intimacy and privacy, which are increasingly rare in a world where everything is recorded, monitored and commercialised.
FC
I’d like to steer the conversation back to Radiolibre.cc. Why do you think there’s such a strong interest in radio? Can radio serve as a medium of oral culture? While written systems, like academic papers, articulate thought, can radio act similarly as an archive or connector for oral cultures, functioning within its unique logic?
AD
I’d like to think that, yes, radio can serve as a medium for thought. It has acted as an example of how to document our experiences and how we shape ourselves through radio. However, there are significant tensions in Colombia regarding traditional radio practices that somehow confine those possibilities of thinking and feeling.
How can we integrate these models of learning and training to benefit others? In 2016, the peace agreement was signed, an accord that set the conditions for guaranteeing a bilateral ceasefire and ending hostilities between the Colombian government and FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). One of these points involved granting 100 licences for radio stations to guerrilla communities that had been in conflict for 50 years. Radio has been fundamental for maintaining the communication infrastructure of these guerrillas. In small communities, far from commercial information infrastructures, local or community radio has become a key means of articulation. These 100 licences were granted with the condition that recipients attend courses on how to do radio in the most traditional way possible. I’m not against this training, but for those of us who think from an artistic or sensitive perspective, this methodology is radically boring and domesticates technological appropriation. When someone tells you that you must speak like a broadcaster and follow a rigid structure for programmes, it not only limits creativity, but also undermines the transformative potential of radio.
FC
Sometimes I think that when we discuss new ways of telling stories, hegemonic thinking tends to favour visual and written cultures. We’re told to write, to refer to bibliographies. This leads me to wonder about all the content that gets mistranslated and therefore gets lost along the way. How can we share and access other ways of thinking – some that don’t go from left to right?
AD
I believe that the free and sovereign media play a fundamental role in this regard. Free Media helps us think about how we can build our own infrastructures, and that’s both an invitation and provocation! (From the sabanas of the Bosque Tropical Seco)
This interview was conducted in Spanish by Florencia Curci. It has been abridged and edited for publishing purposes.
This article is brought to you by 3/4.sk as part of the EM GUIDE project – an initiative dedicated to empowering independent music magazines and strengthening the underground music scene in Europe. Read more about the project at emgui.de.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union (EU) or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the EU nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.