ALER elects new board of directors to face the challenges of popular communication in Latin America

The Latin American Association of Education and Popular Communication (ALER) renewed its board of directors for the period 2026-2030, with representatives from six countries at the forefront of the organization, electing Guatemalan Walter Cúc as president of a board with regional representation.

The XVII General Assembly of ALER, held in Guatemala, allowed for the updating of the board of directors and opened a debate on the future of community media in light of the social, political, and technological transformations in the region.

Alongside Cúc, the new leadership will be made up of Mónica López Cuétara, from Mexico, as vice president; Edwin Beltrán, from Ecuador; Laura Maldonado, from Argentina; and Óscar Orellana, from El Salvador. Edward Niño, from Colombia, will occupy one of the alternate director positions.

The new board of directors will seek to strengthen the joint work of partner organizations, recover ALER's journalistic influence in the region and consolidate communication linked to communities, education, and critical thinking.

In his first intervention as president, Walter Cúc called on the organizations that make up the network to maintain unity and to strengthen their presence in Latin America. “Now more than ever we must be united,” he stated, highlighting ALER's role as a reference for popular communication.

For her part, Mónica López, elected vice president, suggested that ALER must maintain close communication with migrant people and communities, especially those facing exclusion, to amplify their voices and defend their rights.

The economic sustainability of community media was another of the challenges analyzed, along with the need to strengthen their reach and impact in a scenario where digital platforms increasingly concentrate audience attention.

From August 24 to 26, the FGER headquarters in Guatemala City hosted the XVII General Assembly of ALER, where representatives of popular communication organizations in the region analyzed the challenges of the sector and elected the board that will lead the network until 2030.

With more than five decades of experience, ALER has established itself as a Latin American network of media and popular communication organizations. It emerged in 1972 linked to educational radio and later extended its work to community, indigenous, and popular experiences in different countries.

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