President of the Councils of State and Ministers

Havana, May 24, 2017

Year 59 of the Revolution

Esteemed workers of the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television:

On a day like today, 55 years ago, the Revolutionary government made the decision to create what was at that time the Cuban Institute of Radio Broadcasting, to confront the slander campaign underway to sully the example of sovereignty, justice, and dignity that Cuba represented for the peoples of the world.

With the honorable predecessor that was the guerilla station Radio Rebelde, the nascent institution delivered Fidel’s words and ideas throughout the entire nation, and broadcast them farther afield beyond our borders.

Five decades later, and facing a panorama as difficult as that of those first years, at a time when our enemies’ weapons of informational and cultural domination are increasingly sophisticated, the efforts, creativity, and revolutionary commitment of workers at the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television continue to be indispensable.

I congratulate you all on this new anniversary, which should serve as motivation to continue putting your effort and talent at the disposition of our people.

A strong embrace,

Raúl Castro Ruz