"Heard It on the CX": Radio, Resistance, and Military Rule in Uruguay, 1969–85

Uruguay was one of many South American nations under authoritarian right-wing military rule during the “Late Cold War” era of the 1970s and 80s. Uruguay’s experience of dictatorship was shaped both by its small size and by a long history of a media which was, compared to its neighbors, relatively free of censorship and repression. The result was that, while the period of military rule (1973-1985) saw significant increase in repression and censorship of media, there remained space for opposition media to narrowly and carefully continue to operate. Despite its affiliation with the Uruguayan Communist Party, Montevideo broadcaster CX30 remained on the air (with a few interruptions) and served as a vital source of information on local and regional events for audiences in the capital city of Montevideo during these years. The fact that Communist Party leadership was in exile for much of this time also gave CX30 room to navigate the political situation. This era of “La Radio” (the military regime forced the station to drop the word “National” from its name), is associated with the figure and voice of Germán Araújo, one of the most important and consistent voices of opposition to military rule for the many Uruguayans who did not head into exile. Ironically, the return to civilian rule and of exiled party leadership led to ousters and crackdowns on station content and eventually Araújo’s ouster from the station.