[News] Cuba Celebrates 60 Years of Che Guevara's Radio Rebelde

[Anti-Imperialist News]

https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Cuba-Celebrates-60-Years-of-Che-Guevaras-Radio-Rebelde-20180224-0021.html 



  Cuba Celebrates 60 Years of Che Guevara's Radio Rebelde

24 February 2018
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It was 60 years ago today that the now-famous *Cuban radio station* 
founded by iconic *guerrilla* leader *Che Guevara* finally crackled into 
life over the *Caribbean* airwaves.

*Radio Rebelde*, the voice of the *Cuban Revolution*, began as a 
clandestine *pirate radio *station nestled in the *Sierra Maestra 
Mountains *in the eastern part of the island.

Founded by *Ernesto 'Che' Guevara* at Altos de Conrado, the station's 
on-air signature became a screeching howl of "Aqui, Radio Rebelde!"

Its February 24, 1958 maiden broadcast, which lasted 20 minutes, came at 
a time when almost all of Cuba's *media *was controlled by loathed 
dictator *Fulgencio Batista*.

The broadcast began with the rebels' anthem, followed by a report on the 
battle of *Pino del Agua* and other news from Che's guerrillas.

"Here is Radio Rebelde, the voice of the Sierra Maestra, transmitting 
for all Cuba on the 20 meter band at 5 and 9p.m. daily... I'm Station 
Director *Captain Luis Orlando Rodriguez*."

Rebelde's first director, Rodriguez then read an editorial on the 
founding of the station and notable events from that day in Cuban 
history – of which its own initiation is now one.

As the battle continued to rage between capitalist, U.S.-backed 
President Batista and the *Communist *guerrillas led by *Fidel Castro*, 
Radio Rebelde broadcast firsthand reports of the rebels' progress almost 
round the clock.

As a tribute on pateplumaradio.com notes: "Castro had always seen the 
importance of broadcasting, but Che Guevara was the main rebel proponent 
of a clandestine station. Guevara knew that a radio station was the only 
way to speak directly to the Cuban people.

"Guevara rounded up a technician, a former newspaper reporter and two 
ex-announcers from Havana's popular *Radio Mambi *from among supporters. 
An old ham transmitter would do the broadcasting."

By the time Castro told listeners he had seized the capital, Havana, on 
January 1, 1959, every one of the guerrilla columns had its own radio 
equipment, and a total of 32 small rebel stations had joined forces to 
create the *Cadena de la Libertad*, or*Liberty Network*.

Castro himself, during Rebelde's 15th anniversary celebrations in 1973, 
recalled: "Radio Rebelde truly became our means of mass communication, 
to talk to the people, and it became a much-listened-to station. It was 
crucial for disseminating *military* information and played a key role 
throughout the *war*."

Today, Radio Rebelde is a 24-hour operation employing more than 270 
people, with an emphasis on news programs, sports and and live talk 
shows, and outposts in every Cuban province.

As co-founder Ricardo Martinez is quoted as saying in the station's 
official history: "A guiding principle of our effort was to always 
communicate the truth, which gave us credibility."
______________________________________________________________________

*/FROM THE FREEDOM ARCHIVES:/*
Sample from actual broadcast of Radio Rebelde, the clandestine station 
of the Cuban Revolution. The announcer introduces Fidel Castro, who 
calls for a general strike to defeat the Batista tyranny.

https://search.freedomarchives.org/search.php?s=%22radio+rebelde%22
-- 
Freedom Archives 522 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94110 415 
863.9977 https://freedomarchives.org/
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