"And do they think they can hide this from the world? No! Cuba has a radio station that is already transmitting throughout Latin America and is heard by countless brothers and sisters in Latin America and the rest of the world. We are no longer in the age of stage-coaches. We are in the age of radio and the truth can travel far and wide!"
– Fidel Castro Ruz, April 16, 1961

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Radio Habana Cuba

In a speech delivered by President Fidel Castro during the funeral of the victims of the bombing of the San Antonio de los Baños Air Base, the Santiago de Cuba and Ciudad Libertad airports on April 16th of 1961, the Cuban leader announced the creation of Radio Habana Cuba. The attacks were the prelude to the Bay of Pigs invasion by mercenaries organized by the U.S. Goverment. Those were the beginnings of Cuba's international radio broadcasts, "A friendly voice that travels around the world".

Although RHC was officially inaugurated in May, 1961, the idea of an international Cuban radio station was born in the Sierra Maestra mountains during the final stage of the fight against the tyranny of Fulgencio Batista. After the creation of Radio Rebelde by Ernesto 'Che' Guevara in February of 1958, the leadership of the guerrilla movement began to analyze the possibility of creating a radio station after achieving the final victory. The station would have the necessary power to bring the truth of the Cuban Revolution to countries around the world.

With the triumph of January, 1959, the old dream of the "bearded rebels of the Sierra" became a crucial task for the country's leadership: the creation of RHC, the voice of a people in Revolution and, thus, the voice of all those who fight for their self-determination and against imperialism.

Located on one of Havana's most frequented avenues Infanta Radio Havana Cuba shares symbolic facility in the history of Cuban radio transmissions with two renowned national stations: Radio Progreso and CMBF, Radio Musical Nacional.

Currently, RHC broadcasts in nine languages: Spanish, English, French, Portuguese, Arabic, Quechua, Guarani, Creole and Esperanto, with a varied programming that includes news, music and features.

For more information:

Radio Habana web site