Cuba highlights the 68th anniversary of Radio Rebelde

HAVANA, Cuba, February 24 (ACN) The Cuban Presidency highlighted on its official website today the 68th anniversary of Radio Rebelde, the station founded by Commander Ernesto "Che" Guevara in 1958 and the historical leader of the Cuban Revolution, Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, as a strategic communication tool during the struggle in the Sierra Maestra mountains and after the revolutionary triumph.

The station began broadcasting on February 24, 1958, from Altos de Conrado, in Oriente province, with the Invading Anthem and the war report from the Battle of Pino del Agua, becoming an immediate means of disseminating the voice of the Rebel Army.

The unmistakable "…This is Radio Rebelde, the voice of the Sierra Maestra, broadcasting to all of Cuba on the 20-meter band, daily at five in the afternoon and nine at night, from our rebel camp in the hills of Oriente…" resonated powerfully and credibly among the Cuban people, who needed to be informed about the revolutionary events narrated directly by their protagonists.

Fidel ordered the station's relocation to La Plata in April of that year, where the General Command was established. From there, the station made it possible to counter Batista's official propaganda and maintain communication with the people and the guerrilla fronts.

During the summer offensive of 1958, Radio Rebelde remained on the air despite the attacks, broadcasting war reports and political messages that refuted the dictatorship's narrative.

The radio station was also used as a psychological tool in battles such as Santo Domingo and El Jigüe, where loudspeakers were set up to broadcast anthems and calls for surrender, contributing to the demoralization of the enemy troops.

After the defeat of Batista's offensive, Fidel Castro once again addressed the nation from Radio Rebelde in August 1958, reporting on the fighting and the Rebel Army's stance regarding prisoners of war.

On January 1, 1959, after learning of Fulgencio Batista's flight, Fidel Castro again used the station in Palma Soriano to call for a general strike and ensure the continuation of military operations until final victory.

In subsequent commemorations, the Commander-in-Chief emphasized that Radio Rebelde never broadcast a lie and that the station became a crucial center of military and political communication during the war.

The station today preserves a sound archive of the Cuban Revolution and continues as a benchmark of national radio, with permanent broadcasts from the Radio Directorate of the Institute of Information and Social Communication, which are part of the historical memory of the country.