Cuban President and First Party Secretary Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez has announced the upcoming launch of his new radio talk program, *Criterio Compartido* (Shared Views), set to air on Cuba’s iconic Radio Rebelde starting next week. The program, co-hosted by 2026 National Radio Award-winning journalist Bárbara Betancourt Abreu, draws inspiration from respected media figure Dr. Zeneida Costales, and is built around five core missions that center direct engagement between the island nation’s leader and its citizens.
Unlike traditional top-down political broadcasts, *Criterio Compartido* is designed as an open, inclusive space focused on participatory governance and transparency. Its core mandate is to candidly address the everyday challenges, pressing concerns, and collective aspirations of Cuban people, creating a structured forum for ongoing social dialogue that acts as a direct, unfiltered bridge between the presidency and the general public. Betancourt Abreu emphasized this core mission in her remarks, noting that the program will prioritize genuine listening: “Yes, he listens to me. He is the president who listens to what I think.”
A key defining feature of the new show is its commitment to centering ordinary Cubans as the main protagonists of the conversation. Everyday working people, often referred to as the unsung heroes who build the nation through their daily labor, will be given regular airtime to share their experiences and perspectives. The program will also serve as a formal platform for accountability, creating space for citizen oversight of government work and helping build public consensus around key policy issues, grounded in systematic public opinion research and direct public participation.
In his announcement shared September 17, 2026, Díaz-Canel reflected on his long personal and professional connection to radio broadcasting, stretching back to his childhood days participating in a children’s program in Santa Clara, to his earlier experience hosting versions of *Criterio Compartido* and another program called *Alta Tensión* in Holguín. “The best way to learn is to listen to the people,” the president stated, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to ongoing, open dialogue with the Cuban public.
The program will carry a deeply personal touch for the Cuban leader: its opening theme is the well-known track *Canto Arena* by iconic Cuban musician Silvio Rodríguez, performed by Díaz-Canel’s own children, Miguel and Jenny, who are members of the popular Cuban folk group De Cuba. Starting next week, the program will be available to all Cuban radio listeners, with organizers framing it as a promising new effort to foster open, transformative public conversation across the country.