A group associated with far-left billionaire George Soros is taking over 18 Spanish-language radio stations, including the iconic conservative talk station Radio Mambi.
“It’s a stab in the heart of the community,” says Lourdes Ubieta, a former host at Radio Mambi.
Radio Mambi gained a reputation “as a station that serves the Cuban exile community,” Ubieta says, because it spoke openly about the harms of socialism and communism.
When Ubieta and her colleague Dania Alexandrino learned that Radio Mambi was going to be part of the new Latino Media Network, they determined it was time to leave. The new network reportedly is funded primarily by Lakestar Finance, an entity affiliated with Soros Fund Management.
“These people from the left, these Democrats, they believe that [by] buying these 18 radio stations, somehow they can control the opinion they deliver [to] the Hispanic community,” Ubieta says.
Ubieta and Alexandrino join this episode of “The Daily Signal Podcast” to explain why the left is targeting conservative Spanish-language media and how Americano Media is working to furthering the values of faith, family, and patriotism.
Also on today’s show, we cover these stories:
- The Senate prepares to vote on a bill that would enshrine same-sex and interracial marriage in federal law.
- A bipartisan group of senators reach a deal to clarify the language of an old election law.
- The median sales price of an American home hit $416,000 in June.
Listen to the podcast below or read the lightly edited transcript:
Virginia Allen: Eighteen Hispanic radio stations, including the iconic Spanish-language conservative talk show station Radio Mambi in Miami, are being taken over by the political left. Behind this takeover, in part, is the billionaire liberal George Soros. Lakestar Finance has partially funded the takeover of these 18 stations in a $60 million deal, and the investment group is affiliated with Soros Fund Management.
So why is Soros buying up conservative Spanish-language radio stations? Here with us to talk about that is Lourdes Ubieta. She is the former host of a show on Miami’s Radio Mambi. And also here with us is Dania Alexandrino, who also formally worked for Radio Mambi.
Ladies, thank you so much for joining today. It’s a pleasure to have you.
Lourdes Ubieta: Thank you so much.
Dania Alexandrino: Thank you, it’s a pleasure to be here.
Allen: So Lourdes, I want to begin by asking you, what exactly is happening here? Why are these stations, why are these specifically Spanish-language, 18 stations being bought up by the left?
Ubieta: Well, the situation, as you know, with Hispanic voters, they are very conservative, and believe it or not, this conservatism is growing in the United States. These people from the left, these Democrats, they believe that buying these 18 radio stations, somehow they can control the opinion they deliver toward the Hispanic community. So in a way, what they’re trying to do is to silence the conservative voices, to introduce most liberal voices in those iconic radio stations like Radio Mambi.
Allen: OK, OK. And Dania, tell us a little bit about what the mission of Radio Mambi has been. How would you describe that station?
Alexandrino: … Well, I was the newest on-air anchor for Radio Mambi. I actually joined just this past April.
So I’ve always known of Radio Mambi’s history as a station that serves the Cuban exile community, the station where they found a home away from home, a station where they were able to express freely what they thought about the radical left and the Marxist ideals that have destroyed the beautiful island of Cuba for the past over 60 years.
So when I was actually approached to be on air, to me, it was an honor because I am not Cuban, I’m Puerto Rican. So it was odd, but at the same time, it was a great honor because I knew what Radio Mambi represented to the Cuban exile community, what it meant to them, and the prestige that it has in Miami. That’s basically what Radio Mambi was and continues to be, to a certain extent, to the Cuban exile community.
Allen: Yeah. And Lourdes, you have described this takeover of these 18 stations as a stab in the heart. Why do you say that?
Ubieta: Because Mambi has been the—I would say the light. The light of hope, of dignity, of freedom for the Cuban community in exile, for the Venezuelan community also in exile, Nicaraguan community, also in exile.
You see, all these communities gather here in South Florida. And in Radio Mambi, we talk to that people. We are the voice of the exiles. And for me, it’s a stab in the heart of the community. And as you say, and I have said before, and it’s a shame. It’s very painful and it’s very sad, honestly.
Allen: Yeah. So what happens now to your station that you-all have invested a lot of yourselves in, that has been this really strong conservative outlet for so long and voice for your community? What’s going to happen now?
Ubieta: Well, if this continues to go the way it’s going, I mean, I’m talking about the selling of the station, not the process, at the end of the day, they’re going to take over. The Soros people are going to take over the stations. And we will have to see what is going to happen with this iconic signal. For now, there are still there some very conservative people.
The decision to leave Mambi is a very personal decision. I respect the people who leave and also the people who stay, because each of us give a fight the best way we think we can fight.
So, some people think that by staying in the station under these circumstances, they are doing a good job toward freedom of speech, and liberty, and giving the fight. And for others like me, I’m just not going out, playing the games. I just left. I just decided that I don’t want to be part of the deal or be remembered like I was there during these times. No, my decision was just to leave.
Allen: Yeah. But I know that you’re staying in the fight in the sense of, you’re continuing to really be a part of the conservative media space and the Spanish-language conservative media space. Talk a little bit about that.
Ubieta: I’m very happy to be in Americano Media, and I’m going to tell you why. First time they contact me last year and they told me … we want to be the first national conservative media broadcaster in Spanish, I was so excited because we need that so badly in the United States. There’s so much misinformation toward the Spanish community. And I was like, “Oh my God, this is the place I want to be.”
And you know, sometimes you have to be careful with what you wish, because wish has come through. Right now, I’m here and I’m full time now in Americano, and I’m very happy and I’m very happy for my community.
The Hispanic community needs these voices like Dania, like Nelson [Rubio], like Lucia [Navarro]. We’re making a good team here, and I think this is going to be a very successful media network.
Allen: Yeah, yeah. Dania, share a little bit about what the mission is of Americano Media.
Alexandrino: Well, the mission is to actually be the voice of those Hispanic Americans that are proud of the freedoms this country was founded and stands on, and be the voice for those who share our principles, our values, because Latinos or Hispanics, we are conservative by nature.
We believe in God, we believe and fear God. We believe in the family institution, and we’re aspirational. We do not like dependency. We also care a lot about our children’s education. So that’s what Americana represents. Americana represents those fundamental values that have made this country great for many years, since its inception and it’s founding.
That’s what our mission is, is to be the voice for those, who for a long time did not feel that they were being represented by the other national Spanish-speaking networks. And I say this as somebody who worked in those other stations and knew that behind the scenes what was being discussed, but in front of the cameras, most tried really hard to try to sell a perception that they were balanced, but I knew it wasn’t that way.
Then in 2016, a person came out and announced a candidacy that basically removed a mask from all of these national networks, including the Spanish-language national networks. So Americano was born, basically, to give the audience the other side of the story, the side of the story that’s often hidden from our people in order to manipulate them.
So sure, we welcome immigrants, but let’s do this in an orderly fashion. Let’s do it. This is a country of law and order. And so that’s basically what we try to do, is we try to educate our people. We try to be a voice for those who often felt that the other networks did not represent who they are and their values.
Allen: Yeah. When you-all talk to people in your community, what are some of their biggest concerns? What are the things that they’re saying to you? “Oh, you know, I’m thinking about this. This is overwhelming me.” What are you hearing from them?
Alexandrino: One of the main things that I often hear from my listeners, and from whichever of the shows that I do, that I host, is they’re concerned about the route the country has taken. They’re concerned about their financial well-being. Many people are concerned.
For example, our audience at Radio Mambi were senior citizens. Many of them were seeing their savings dwindling. Many of them couldn’t afford to buy medication. They were spending basically their retirement and their Social Security checks in gas money, in groceries because they saw their grocery bill multiplying. So that’s basically one of our main concerns.
Then the other one was the continued attack on God, on our values, on our faith, and how Christians are often under attack, not just around the world, but in this country, particularly from the mainstream media. And the fact that we are a station that defends God, that has God as our main provider, creator, I think that people really appreciate that.
Allen: Yeah. And what is the Hispanic community saying about, really, the left now buying up these 18 radio stations? Have you-all talked to individuals? Do you know what they’re thinking, what their thoughts are on that?
Alexandrino: Oh, well, I’m sure I speak for Lourdes, we get those messages every single day on all of our social media. I mean, we get inboxes, we get comments on our social media post. We get just about every sort of reaction you can possibly imagine.
People are upset, they’re hurting because the one bastion that they saw as the epitome of what being a conservative Hispanic was was under attack.
We’ve been under attack for quite a while, because this attempt at censorship of Hispanic, conservative voices has been ongoing for quite a while. … The Hispanic Congressional Caucus has been deliberate, has been very straightforward about their intent to silence voices like Lourdes, like myself.
I’ve basically challenged Congressman Darren Soto often and on the air to an interview, so that he can come on my show and tell me word-for-word, day, time as to what, according to him, is the disinformation that he claims I provide my audience.
And he’s never accepted an interview. Why? Because he knows that my opinion is substantiated by facts, and that’s what he fears. He fears facts and he fears the fact that people are awake, that people are not woke, and they’re tired of this woke agenda. We see that every day with the messages we get on all of our social media.
People are upset, but they’re ready to fight. They have decided to be silent no longer. And I often say that to my audience. I was like, “You need to leave fear in the drawer, in the closet. Leave it somewhere. But this is not the time to be scared.”
Allen: Mm-hmm. And we see people like newly elected Rep. Mayra Flores of Texas, who is taking a stand. Her platform is her faith, and a love of country, and God, and of family. And that, I think for so many Americans, that’s a message that resonates, right? That’s a message that really speaks to all of us, no matter our background.
Ubieta: … Virginia, we are Latinas, but we are Americans. And we’re Latinas. We are Latinas without an “X,” OK? … No X, no X here, and no taco here. No taco here and no X here. We are Latinas, and we are exactly as Mayra Flores describes us.
We have a God in our life. We try to build our families. We give the fight to provide for our families. We are struggling like anyone in this country with this economy, and we have those values in our heart. But among all this, we are Americans and we are not going anywhere, and nobody’s going to silence us. No one is going to silence us.
That’s why I’m so happy that we have interviews with journalists like you and that we have a place to work like Americano Media. Let me tell you, this is a war against conservatism. And again, conservative host and Spanish.
Now that they know that this is the first minority in the United States, and that the people is switching their vote, when they see that President [Joe] Biden only has 32%, 33% approval of Hispanics vote, they are very scared. They are very scared and they do these crazy things like buying 18 radio stations, like if Hispanics are idiots and they’re going to go vote because someone is telling them what to do from a radio station. That is crazy.
We don’t vote for someone telling us in a radio station what we have to do. We vote because inflation is killing our pockets, because our people who have two, three shifts to make enough money to pay, to provide for their kids.
They are really struggling, Virginia, like any other American. It doesn’t matter if you are African American, or Hispanic, or you are from Oklahoma, or from South Dakota, or from New York City. It doesn’t matter where you were born. If you are in the United States right now, you are struggling. That’s the truth. And Hispanics, they are not idiots, and we are not tacos. We are not Latinx. We are not all the same.
What is common among all of us are those values that this congresswoman said. Those are the values that we all share. Even same if you come from Mexico, if you come from Venezuela, or if you come from Puerto Rico, from Dominican Republic, or from Panama, doesn’t matter from whatever you come.
Alexandrino: Just after what Lourdes says, and it’s something that even … Congresswoman Mayra Flores said, Latinos have these values so grounded in our culture that … God, family, country are so important that everybody becomes family. I mean, Latino families are so big that … even the neighbor becomes “tia” and “tio.”
Ubieta: And the coworkers—”comadre” and “compadre.”
Alexandrino: So that’s how important family is to us. That even people who are close and friends become family. And that’s what’s under attack in this country at this moment. We have God under attack, we have our values under attack, and we have family under attack—the most important things that have made this country great for over 240 years.
And whether you’re an immigrant like Lourdes, who became an American citizen, or whether you’re born an American citizen like myself, who was born in a U.S. territory, we value those principles. We value and we cherish everything that makes America great. And that’s the reason why we do what we do.
Let me just give you an anecdote of an audience member that shared with me something, and he said to me recently, he lost his mother-in-law. He said, “I just want to thank you because for the first time in her life, my mother-in-law voted Republican in 2020. And that was thanks to you. You and your shows made her realize that she was being lied to her entire life.”
It’s stories like that that matter and make what we do here at Americano even more important. It’s preserving those values, preserving that family, preserving everything that makes this country amazing.
Ubieta: And you know something, Virginia, and for your audience I think is important, I am not a Republican and I am independent, and … they also attack us. “No, because all these are Republicans.” First, I’m an independent, a conservative independent.
So, what I want to point out with this is that there are millions of Hispanic conservative independents; that they are not necessarily joining a political party or they are not affiliated to a political party like me. I never affiliated to a political party, not because I have anything against the Republicans, no. Just because, as a journalist, I say, I’d rather be independent, so I can talk, I can attack both of them.
Allen: Keep it there! I love it.
Alexandrino: All the years I worked as a journalist, that’s exactly what I did. I never associated myself with any party, because I didn’t want to have to go to vote in primaries. Basically, as a journalist, I wanted to maintain that independence, and not only that, but in Puerto Rico—I lived in Puerto Rico for 10 years, although I grew up in Boston. Primaries, when you go to vote for primaries, it’s so specific that people know what party you’re voting at, because if you belong in one party, you vote on this side of the Electoral College. If you vote for another party—so people know which party you’re voting for.
That’s another reason why I was completely independent, because I did not want to be seen. I was a TV journalist, so I did not want to be seen on a voting line and be like, “Oh, that’s where she’s registered.” But it wasn’t until the moment that I actually stepped aside from journalism, became a journalism professor, that I actually decided this is where my principles and my values are, I’m not afraid to say it.
I grew up in a very liberal city. A city that had not seen a Republican mayor since 1932, and that’s the city of Boston. But somehow I was different, I thought differently. I always questioned everything, and I guess I was destined to be a lawyer, but I didn’t become a lawyer, so I became a journalist, which is the other option of being, questioning everything. My mom always said my mouth and my questioning would get me in trouble one day.
Allen: So here you are.
Ubieta: So here she is. So that’s what I was saying, and that’s what I wanted to point out there. We are millions of Hispanics that are independent, and they are conservative because of those values that this congresswoman, she suggested, and she’s absolutely right.
Allen: Yeah, yeah. Well, we thank you for so much, for both of you, for the way that you are both standing for those values that, as Americans, we all hold dear. I think that’s so critical, no matter what side of the aisle that you’re on, that we are standing up for faith, that we’re standing up for family, that we’re standing up for our nation. So sincerely, thank you both.
And for all of our listeners, if you would like to learn more about Americano Media, check them out. Be sure to follow the work that both Lourdes and Dania are doing.
Ladies, thank you so much for your time today. We really appreciate you joining the show.
Ubieta: Virginia, thank you. You have to come to our shows in Americano now, you have to. You have to call. You have to come.
Allen: Thank you.
Alexandrino: And I want to say bye and thank you by reminding your audience of one thing that one of our Founding Fathers said: “Stand for something or die for nothing.”
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