That Fr. Roberto Durette, O.M.I.,
is alive today is a miracle.
Since 1975, Fr. Roberto has been director
of Radio Pio XII radio station, located high in the Andes Mountains of
Bolivia. Over the years, the radio station has been an outspoken critic
of brutal dictatorships and repressive governments.
Speaking out for the rights of the poor,
Fr. Roberto became an enemy of the government. At one point, he
was at the top of the list for murder by the Army. But despite
beatings, assassination attempts, and hiding from troops for days
in the mines, Fr. Roberto was able to stay ahead of the assassins, and
became a hero to millions of Bolivians.
“Our radio station was
destroyed and rebuilt several times. We had to hide people from
the military. We had to hold secret meetings, and we were thrown
from one dictator to another,” says Fr. Roberto. “It
wasn’t until a democratic government came to power in 1982 that
we could work in peace.”
Radio Pio was started by the Oblates
in 1959 as a voice for workers in the tin mines of Bolivia. The
Oblates wanted to create an alternative to the Communist
“workers’ radio” that was broadcasting in the area.
Miners were working in slave-like
conditions that benefitted the government and union. With the
support of the station, the miners began to fight back, demanding basic
human rights.
For more than 20 years, the miners
struggled with their oppressors. Eventually, that struggle paid
off as democracy came to Bolivia. But a few years after this
victory, the mining companies pulled out of Siglo XX because the price
of tin on the world market dropped sharply. This forced miners to
search for tin on their own, creating a free-for-all underground.
“Everyone is now fighting to
defend his own interest in the mine. Anything can happen in
there. The tunnels are getting narrower and narrower. The
only tools these workers have are their energy, their lungs, and a
little dynamite,” explains Fr. Roberto.
Today, the radio station has branched
out into more areas than just focusing on the miners. The station
is a strong advocate for the rights of native Indians and to increase
their role in the political process. Radio Pio is also active in
social projects such as bringing fresh drinking water to the area.
Despite decades of threats to his personal
safety, Fr. Roberto remains committed to improving the lives of the
poor in Bolivia. It is a fight that is dangerous and demanding,
but Fr. Roberto knows that it is a fight in which he will never give
up.
“We are fighting to change the rules
governing this game today,” said Fr. Roberto. “It is
in this battle that I find meaning in life, as a Christian and as a
priest.”
