Cuba National Radio Highlights: 5 Facts About Radio Havana Cuba

Cuba national radio underwent a significant change when Fidel Castro announced the creation of Radio Havana Cuba a day prior to the Bay of Pigs Invasion in April 1961.

Cuba’s radio style had mirrored the U.S. network system and broadcasts. Castro’s announcement ignited the propaganda war of words between Cuba and the United States, coming as the U.S. government attempted to undercut Castro’s popularity and overthrow Castro’s government. The anti-Castro broadcasts filled the airwaves of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency’s radio station, Radio Swan.

Since then, Radio Havana Cuba, a state-run national radio service, has been known for its promotion of Communist ideologies. Portions of the radio station’s editorial content came from the ministries of communications and foreign affairs.

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Here are five lesser-known facts about the Cuban national radio service.

1. Radio Havana Cuba, also known as Radio Habana Cuba and RHC, started broadcasting in May 1961 with the goal of spreading the Cuban government’s views and competing with the Voice of America. It wanted to become an alternative option for the international audience.

2. The radio signal for Radio Havana Cuba has been very strong. Since the station is located on an island surrounded by a long stretch of sea, its signal experiences fewer obstructions. Its signal reaches into the Americas and as far as Africa.

3. Leaders of leftist movements took advantage of the Cuban national radio’s powerful shortwave signal to voice their perspectives. This included Colombian guerillas and black political activists from the United States such as Bobby Seale and Stokely Carmichael.

4. Radio Havana Cuba broadcasts original programming such as news, chat, and music, but it has also relayed Radio Moscow and the Voice of Vietnam. The radio station retransmitted 2,500 English programs into the Americas during 1968 and 1976. According to the book "False Flags, Covert Operations, and Propaganda," the station broadcasted alleged confessions from the crew of the USS Pueblo as well.

5. Arnaldo Coro Antich is the co-founder of Radio Havana Cuba and served as a radio host on the station. The University of Havana broadcasting professor is known to the radio audience as “Arnie Coro.” Coro, along with his colleagues, began test broadcasting in February 1961 under the name Cuban Experimental Radio.

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