The José Martí Memorial hosted Wednesday’s ceremony commemorating the 104th anniversary of the start of radio broadcasts and also served to recognize the work of those who keep this memory and tradition alive in Cuba.
The event was dedicated to the Centennial of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz and also celebrated the anniversaries of the Federation of Cuban Women and the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba.
The celebration was attended by the Director General of Cuban Radio, Yusaima Cardona Villegas, and served to recognize the careers of numerous professionals within the Cuban Radical Civic Union.
During the ceremony, the 2026 National Radio Award was presented to Bárbara Betancourt Abreu for her decades of service to audiences and her exemplary performance in multiple areas of radio broadcasting.
The journalist, who holds various positions at Radio Rebelde and other media outlets, thanked those present for their participation and reflected on the vital role of radio in the present, the future, and as a training ground for communication professionals.
The Artists of Merit award was also presented at the ceremony to actress Kenia Ortiz Osorio and radio announcers Julio Ramón Pita and Pedro Martínez Arco.
New Generation recognition was also given to Yusuam Palacios Ortega, director of La Fragua Martiana; Yasel Toledo Garnache, president of the Hermanos Saíz Association; the young radio broadcaster Erick Méndez Díaz; and Daimara Díaz García, director of radio station COCO, among others.
The commemoration was attended by Yuniaski Crespo Vaquero, head of the Ideological Department of the Communist Party of Cuba; Alfonso Noya Martinez, president of the Institute of Social Communication; and Bolivia Tamara Cruz, first vice president of the Union of Journalists of Cuba.
During the event, the Cuban Radio 100th Anniversary Seal was also awarded to, among other professionals, Silvio Hernández Naborí, a writer for Radioarte; Wilfredo Gil Figueredo, a retired member of the Cuban Radio Broadcasting Corporation (COCO); and Mirta Ramos Difurniao, director of Communications for Cuban Radio.
The Cuban Workers’ Federation, through the National Union of Cultural Workers, presented Cuban Radio with the Labor Prowess banner and the Raúl Gómez García Medal to Bruno Suárez Romero, program director for Radio Rebelde, and Abel González Guinarte, producer for Radio Havana Cuba.
While raising the flag, the general director of Cuban Radio, Yusaima Cardona Villegas, recalled that “more than five thousand workers deserve it at the national level” and also received a diploma from the Institute of Social Communication.
IMAGE CREDIT: Rodney Rafael Jimenez Muñoz | Photos: Luis Jiménez
[ SOURCE: AGENCIA CUBANA DE NOTICIAS ]
