The history of U.S subversive broadcasting toward Cuba over more than 50 years has proved the double standard of the U.S policy relating with the world broadcasting laws.

This historical outline by Victor Angel Fernández states that the U.S government has sponsored illegal radio and television broadcasting for several years in favor of terrorism and subversion, although the government itself already had promoted the world laws about radio-television sovereignty.

The radio struggle against Cuba

Suppose that the press will soon report all over the world the following information:

“U.S and British authorities have declared their opposition against Radio and Television Marti broadcastings from the Unites States and they ask for a meeting with all the broadcasting officials in Havana city for them to support this condemnatory call”.

The authorities would report the press that they demand such actions due to the illegality representing the broadcastings addressed Cuba from outside the country into English language.

A similar piece of news was reported 80 years ago, but allow me recall you something of history.

Is he a communicator or a false doctor?

On June 8th, in 1931 the Excélcior newspaper reported that Dr. John R. Brinkley was in Mexico. This U.S expert had become famous for implanting got glands into men with erectile dysfunction. This invention, which was never proved, actually had come up ten years before in Mildford, Kansas; later this man would become a worldwide celebrity being called: “the man of the got glands”.

In January, 1928, the Medical Association U.S magazine published some articles against Brinlkey’s remedies, which made this man to revoke his licenses as a radio announcer and a doctor in 1930. However Brinkley is considered one of the four major announcers in the radio history.

Having no further options in the United States, the so called Dr. moved to Mexico, in Acuña town near the Bravo River; and founded a broadcasting company together with XER radio station, from Mexico, to air into English language for Mexican locals.

This station would reach an effective power of 150 000 watts, jamming U.S and Canadian radio stations, which increased its possibility of communicating with the audience. In terms of the broadcasting company was one of the greatest at that time. 

Conference in Havana

The United States, affected by such broadcasts and without jurisdiction on these kinds of activities carried out from Mexico, managed to look for some legal approval to prohibit any broadcast abroad the country to which addressed, as well clarify the broadcastings aims.

Something similar happened in England by the 30ths because of Radio Luxemburgo, a radio station of 200 000 watts addressed to the British people.

In a radio conference held in Madrid, in 1933, England and U.S citizens agreed that the power of broadcasts in any country should not exceed limits of these territories.

In order to take advantage of all diplomatic options, the U.S ambassador met Mexican President to raise the concern of the States Department about radio stations on the Mexican border. The ambassador also asked the president how the Mexicans would feel themselves if they listened broadcasts with desirable contents from the United States.

In fact there was no agreement. Anticipating further consequences, the United States tried to carry out a regional conference in Havana to solve radio problems in the continent. The conference was planned at a meeting of the International Telecommunication Union in 1938.

Finally, the Regional Broadcasting Agreement was signed, which meant the closing of the well known radio stations on the border. It was really to carry out this difficult agreement.

Paradigms have changed

After the Cuban revolutionary triumph on January 1st, 1959, the U.S. Government has strongly defended its radio and telecommunications sovereignty; but in the same way and widely demonstrating to be an enemy of all social processes against its mandate, the government has sparked a total battle against the Cuban process at all levels, including broadcasting.

One of the most famous cases was that of the Radio Swan, located on the Swan Caribbean Island. This station was part of the CIA plans to support Pluto Operation, the mercenary invasion to Playa Girón, in April, 1961.

The U.S government had already begun to broadcast in 1960 from a yacht that sailed between the keys of the Straits of Florida. Such transfers had been authorized by the Federal Communications of United States Commissions.

Although there have been radio stations of these kind over some years, which, according to U.S. laws can not be described as 'pirates', since they have received obvious support of the Government;  the Congress passed the Act of broadcastings to Cuba just in 1983, an initial document to open the so-called Radio Marti, on May 20, 1985.

On  March,  1990 the electronic aggression expanded and began broadcasting TV Martí, from the Florida Keys. Here the process became more complex, because the curvature of the earth between Florida and Cuba did not allow direct airing and used some variations, on aircraft and balloon to achieve their goals.

As the Cuban government has denounced at international forums, these illegal radio and television, the U.S government are trying to promote by all possible ways of disrespect to the constitutional order and the authorities.

Such transfers, among many other violations, breach of the Declaration of Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States, as enshrined in Resolution 2625 (XXV) adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1970 and also with the Constitution, Convention and Radio Regulations of ITU, particularly in the paragraph 23.3, which limits television broadcasting beyond national boundaries.

Thus, the process which became famous when the doctor Brinkley popularized external broadcastings to the United States, in violation of their laws, and that led to this country to promote a campaign to limit first and then prohibit such broadcastings, with a milestone important in this battle over sovereignty held in the Cuban capital, it has been precisely in the past last 50 years, a process trampled by the promoter of the same pattern of aggression, now blessed by the northern authorities.

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