"Communcacion popular" is an attempt by the peasant classes in Latin America to set up communication channels, independent of the hierarchy of intermediaries, that link them to the ruling elite. This language of liberation is self-reliant and defiant, coloring every aspect of its participants' lives. Its channels of communication are horizontal, not vertical, growing from within instead of being introduced from without. When confronted with the need to communicate on a larger scale, these movements rely on access to radio provided by allies such as the church and on artistic folk expression and small nonprofessional media. The history of colonial empires and patterns of modernization have led many national liberation movements to internal dependence on urban-technical elites and external dependence on the industrialized nations. Churches are also important allies. Also, the public service radio can help generate the new values necessary for lower-status movements seeking liberation from dependency and exploitation. (JL)