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Noel Perez Batista, National Award of the Cuban Radio treasures his memories as the most valuable of the trophies life has given him; and among them there are the last hours of the most memorable events of his 82 years old: the triumph of the Cuban Revolution.
“By the end of November 1958 one of the members of the labor cell of the July 26 Movement (M-26-7) introduced me a comrade from the Rebel Army, who said was Captain Richard, and asked me: “Is the radio station from Santiago ready to support the rebels in its siege and possible attack to Santiago de Cuba?”
Why was specially Noel Perez the person to give this answer?
Because, besides being a broadcaster from CMKC, Radio Oriente, I was the coordinator of the labor cell from the M-26-7 and I used to advise all that was done on the radio in support to the struggle in Sierra Maestra Mountains and the city.
And what did you answer?
“Tell Commander Fidel Castro the radio station from Santiago de Cuba is ready to support whatever necessary, until the last consequences; I categorically and radically said that, because I knew very well the staff of the stations and I witnessed many conspiracy actions.”
How do you remember those 24 hours on January 1, 1959?
Since the beginning of 1958 and under the orders of Vilma Espin, I recorded Radio Rebelde’s transmissions, so I knew in details the last days of that year, and sensed it was the moment to do what I told Fidel I was ready to.
At daybreak on January1, 1959 I heard the news of Fulgencio Batista’s flight in Radio Progreso and immediately went to CMKC, tuned Radio Rebelde with a DCR-48 receptor of short wave that was there and alerted the operator working in that moment, to be ready for any recording.
During his first speech in Radio Rebelde, Fidel informed of the coup in Havana, and asserted that the Army he was leading did not know the circumstances of the event, ordering his troops not to stop the operations under any circumstance, while telling the people, specially the workers, whom he made a call to be alert for the general strike if necessary.
What later came was an avalanche of events. Fidel talks by the phones of Radio Rebelde again and he specially spoke to the people from Santiago de Cuba, telling them the city must be free because they deserved that, and that since three o’clock in the afternoon, everything must be paralyzed under the slogan: Revolution Yes, Coup, No!”
From the call of the general strike on, how was the support of the radio station in Santiago for the freedom of Cuba?
We were tuning Radio Rebelde all the time, so we heard Miguel Bofill’s voice when he said: “Attention Radio Santiago, Attention CMKR, here is Radio Rebelde,” he repeated that over and over but there was no answer. In that moment, without thinking about it twice, and on behalf the station, with the directions given to the operator to broadcast anything to the air, I answered: “Attention Radio Rebelde, here is CMKC, Radio Oriente, Rebelde”; and Bofill asked me to identify myself, and I, in the middle of a fit of passion said: “Here is Noel Perez Batista from the M-26-7”.
How Daring!
I would better say madness, Batista’ henchmen were still walking the streets, the confusion was terrible, but we could not hesitate, so we seized the station on behalf the M-26/7, together with other compatriots like Josefina Tadeo and Hilda Franco, there was also Argelio Vistel, and in the master control was Rolando Calzado; with them we broadcasted, facing the guards from Batista who were shooting the building, but that did not threaten us.”
Our support to the triumph of the Revolution was through the radio waves, I answered to Fidel, who was in Palma Soriano and he wanted to know how the city of Santiago de Cuba was after the call for the revolutionary general strike. I broadcasted some parts, managed that from Moncada Garrison a big team there transmited it to the entire Oriente and beyond its borders, and also work for CMKC. From 6 o’clock in the afternoon that January 1rst I was in charged as broadcaster of the Freedom chain.
And in the middle of all that enormous enthusiasm Fidel arrives to CMKC
That’s right. He got in with his giant steps, and he went straight ahead to the window to talk to the people who gathered in front of the station, and I stood behind him with the microphone on all the time. He waves the people, asked them to calm down and called them to be pretty aware to the information Radio Rebelde will broadcast.
As soon as he finished his speech he turned back to me and told me: “Tape the order of general strike for the entire country right now.” Jorge Enrique Mendoza, broadcaster from Radio Rebelde and I, immediately wrote the note and we read it alive, although we later played it with the taped disc.
There were also other colleagues from Radio Rebelde broadcasting together with me in CMKC like Orestes Varela, Violeta Casal, Miguel Bofill, and others.
Few minutes later, Fidel gave me another indication: “Make a call to all radio stations in Cuba to link our station and tell we are going to a great mass activity at Cespedes Park where different personalities will address the people and I will deliver the closing speech of the activity.”
He said it and we just did it, with a strange feeling inside I did not understand its importance by then, but years later, thanks to the thousands of persons in the country and abroad who witnessed that historical moment of the homeland, which 55 years after have preserved for me and, of course, for many, the emotion of the first time.
