In 2011, the General Law of Telecommunications, Information, and Communication Technologies mandated that radio and television frequencies be allocated in the following manner: 33% for commercial entities, 33% for state-run media, and 17% for community outlets and broadcasters representing indigenous communities.
The Sistema Nacional de Radio de los Pueblos Originarios (RPO) falls under the “indigenous communities” category outlined in the legislation. This radio network comprises 51 stations broadcasting in multiple languages. Since coming to power in 2020, the new Socialist government has vowed to revive the licenses for several of these stations, which, according to government officials, were forced to shut down their operations in recent years due to various circumstances.
Media assets
Radio: RPO
State Media Matrix Typology
Independent State-Funded and State-Managed (ISFM)
Ownership and governance
RPO, akin to all state-run media outlets in Bolivia, operates under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Presidency, which falls directly under the leadership of the nation’s president.
Following the political transition in 2020, the newly established administration, guided by the Socialist Party (MAS), overhauled the leadership structure of all state media. This move was a clear indication of the government’s intent to tighten its grip on the narrative disseminated through its media channels.
Source of funding and budget
In 2018, RPO was allocated BOB 2.3m (equivalent to US$ 340,000) from the state budget, which, according to information from local journalists, serves as RPO’s sole financial lifeline.
Fast forward to July 2023, the government unveiled a significant cash boost of BOB 25m (around US$ 3.5m) to revitalize RPO’s stations nationwide. This move marked a turning point after several years of financial drought during which the Jeanine Añez administration had temporarily pulled the plug on these channels.
Editorial independence
The RPO functions under the auspices of the Ministry of the Presidency, which wields some sway over the network’s editorial latitude. Nevertheless, given that the RPO is a mosaic of various stations, each exercising its own degree of independence, it proves a tall order for the presidential office to steer the editorial compass of every broadcaster in the chain. Notably, there have been no recent indications of government meddling in the stations’ editorial prerogatives.
That said, no domestic legislation or structured oversight mechanism has come to light to independently attest to the stations’ editorial autonomy within the RPO network.
March 2025