[3] Although RHC was officially inaugurated in May 1961, the idea of an international Cuban radio station was born in the Sierra Maestra mountains during the final stage of the fight against Fulgencio Batista.

The station unofficially began broadcasting during the Bay of Pigs Invasion in order to spread news of the attack, and the Cuban defence against it, internationally.

Currently, RHC broadcasts in nine languages: Spanish, English, French, Portuguese, Arabic, Quechua, Guarani, Creole and Esperanto, 24 hours a day, with a varied programming that includes news, music and features.

RHC's English-language broadcasts are heavily centered on the United States and feature news items that uniformly adversely reflect upon the U.S. government and the current administration, especially its foreign policies.

The English-language service of the station broadcasts an hour-long program which is repeated throughout the day at different times and frequencies (AM and international shortwave as well as FM in Havana).

[7] The station's interval signal is La Marcha del 26 de Julio (The 26th of July March), written by Agustín Díaz Cartaya.