Fidel Castro Ruz, April 16, 1961

This is an excerpt of the speech delivered by President Fidel Castro during the funeral of the victims of the bombing of the San Antonio de los Baños Air Base and the Santiago de Cuba and Ciudad Libertad airports on April 16th, 1961. These attacks were the prelude to the Bay of Pigs invasion by mercenaries organized by the U.S. government. In his speech, the Cuban leader announced the beginning of Cuba's international radio broadcasts with the creation of Radio Havana Cuba: "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 1958, the leadership of the guerrilla movement began to analyze the possibility of creating a radio station after achieving final victory. This station would be able to communicate the truth about the Cuban Revolution to countries around the world.

With the triumph in January 1959, the longtime dream of the "bearded rebels of the Sierra" became a critical task for the country's leadership as they sought to create RHC - the voice of a people in Revolution and, thus, the voice of all those fighting for self-determination and against imperialism.

Located on one of Havana's most frequented thoroughfares, Infanta Avenue, Radio Havana Cuba shares a facility with two other renowned national stations that have contributed greatly to the history of Cuban radio broadcasting: Radio Progreso and CMBF, Radio Musical Nacional
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Currently, RHC broadcasts in nine languages: Spanish, English, French, Portuguese, Arabic, Quechua, Guarani, Creole and Esperanto, 30 hours a day, with a varied programming that includes news, music and features.

To listen to Radio Havana Cuba is to delve into the life of a people who proudly retain their independence and sovereignty.