The Daily Signal - Dania Alexandrino on George Soros and the Leftist Takeover of 18 Spanish-Language Radio Stations

Episode Date: July 21, 2022

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. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the Daily Signal podcast for Thursday, July 21st. I'm Doug Blair. And I'm Virginia Allen. Leftist billionaire George Soros is in part behind the takeover of 18 Spanish language radio stations, including the conservative Radio Mambi. Why is Soros focused on purchasing Latino radio outlets? And what does this mean for the future of Spanish language radio? Lourdes Bietta and Danya Alexandrino are former host. at Radio Mambi. They joined the show today to explain the Soros takeover of Latino radio and what they are doing to provide their communities with strong conservative radio options. Before we get to Virginia's conversation with Lores Bieta and Dania Alexandrino, let's hit today's

top news. Following the bipartisan passage of a bill Wednesday in the House that would federally enshrine gay and interracial marriage, Senate Democrats are looking to pass the legislation with Republican support to avoid a filibuster. The bill, titled the Respect for Marriage Act, would stipulate that a marriage is legal at the federal level if it's legal at the state level. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday, I want to bring this bill to the floor,

and we're working to get the necessary Senate Republican support to ensure it would pass. But some Senate Republicans are already raising objections. Politico reported Florida Senator Marco Rubio is saying, that bill's not important. It's a waste of our time on a number. non-issue, but I know plenty of gay people in Florida that are pissed off about gas prices. And CNN reported that Lindsey Graham said he would vote against the bill.

Additionally, some of the bill's critics say it could have unintended consequences if passed. Heritage Foundation expert Roger Severino tweeted Monday, in their alarmist overreaction to Dobbs, congressional liberals introduced a bill that would require federal recognition of polygamy if just one state legalizes it. This would have profound implications for tax and welfare policy. not to mention culture. The Daily Signal is the media arm of the Heritage Foundation. A group of bipartisan senators have reached a deal to clarify the language of an old election law.

We're talking about the Electoral Count Act of 1887. That's the law that President Donald Trump urged Vice President Mike Pence to use to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The law details how the Electoral College selects the president and vice president. It also explains how Congress counts those votes. Now, 16 senators, including Republicans, Susan Collins of Maine, and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, have changed the language of the law to remove any alleged vagueness. In a joint statement, the bipartisan group of senators say they share a vision of drafting legislation to fix the flaws of the archaic and ambiguous Electoral Count Act of 1887.

Through numerous meetings and debates among our colleagues, as well as conversations with a wide variety of election experts and legal scholars, we have developed a legislation that establishes clear guidelines for a system of certifying and counting electoral votes for president and vice president. We urge our colleagues in both parties to support these simple common sense reforms. The new legislation would clarify that the vice president only has a ministerial role in certifications. elections. It would also increase the number of state congressional members needed to challenge state election results from one in each house to 20%. The text of the bill is expected to be released soon and then we'll head to Congress for votes in the House and the Senate. More poor economic news as the median sales price to buy a home hit $416,000 in June. That data comes from the National Association of Realtors on Wednesday. They reported that number

is up 13.4% from last year and marks the highest spike ever seen. Those price spikes are impacting the sales market, as the data also indicated a precipitous drop in home buying. The Wall Street Journal reported that sales of previously owned homes fell for the fifth month in a row. Sales dropped by 5.4% in June. According to National Association of Realtors' Chief Economist Lawrence Youen, a combination of higher prices and higher mortgage rates have clearly shifted the dynamics in the housing market. People who want to buy are simply priced out given the affordability challenges. According to housing analysts, home builders are now prioritizing selling already completed homes rather than building more. And that's all for headlines today, but stay tuned for my conversation

with Lordez Bietta and Dania Alexandrino as we discuss why George Soros is backing the takeover of Spanish language radio stations. As conservatives, sometimes it feels like we're constantly on defense against bad ideas. Bad philosophy, revisionist history, junk science, and divisive politics. But here's something I've come to understand. When faced with bad ideas, it's not enough to just defend. If we want to save this country, then it's time to go on offense. Conservative principles are ideas that work, individual responsibility, strong local communities, and belief in the American dream. As a former college professor and current president of the Heritage Foundation, my life's mission is to learn, educate, and take action.

My podcast, The Kevin Roberts Show, is my opportunity to share that journey with you. I'll be diving into the critical issues that plague our nation, having deep conversations with high-profile guests, some of whom may surprise you, and I want to ensure freedom for the next generation. Find the Kevin Roberts Show wherever you get your podcast. 18 Hispanic radio stations, including the iconic Spanish-language conservative talk show station Radio Mombay in Miami are being taken over by the political left. Behind this takeover, in part, is the billionaire liberal George Soros. Lake Star 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 Loredez Bieta. She is the former host of a show on Miami's Radio Mambi. And also here with us is Dania Alex And Reno, who also formerly worked for Radio Mambay. Ladies, thank you so much for joining today. It's a pleasure to have you. Thank you so much. Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here. So Lardez, I want to begin by asking you what exactly is happening here? Why are you, these stations? Why are these specifically Spanish language 18 stations being bought up by the left?

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 this 18 radio stations, somehow they can control, you know, the opinion towards, they deliver towards the Spanish, Hispanic community. So in a way, it's trying to, 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. Okay, okay. And Dania, tell us a little bit about what the mission of Radio Mambi has been. How would you describe that station?

Well, I'm the newest, 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. And 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. And 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. And so that's basically what Radio Mambi was and continues to be to a certain extent to the Cuban exile community. Yeah. And Lardez, you have described this takeover of these 18 stations as a stab in the heart. Why do you say that? 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 Nicaragua 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 like 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 half say before and it's a shame is very painful and it's very sad, honestly. 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? Well, if this continues to go,

the way it goings, I mean, I'm talking about the sailing of the station, all the process. At the end of the day, they're going to take over. The Soros people is going to take over the stations. And we will have to see what is going to happen with this iconic signal, no? For now, they're still there some very conservative people. You know, the decision to leave MNB is a very personal decision. And I respect the people who live 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 towards freedom of speech and liberty and giving the fight, you know.

And for others like me, I'm just not going to play in the games. I just left. I just decide 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 live. 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. I'm very happy to be in American 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 wishes 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, you know. The Hispanic community needs these voices like Daniel, like Nelson, like Lucia. You know, we're making a good team here. And I think this is going to be a very successful media network. Yeah, yeah.

Danya, share a little bit about what the mission is of Americana Media. 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 or 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. You know, we do not like dependency. We also care a lot about our children's education. And so that's what Americano represents. Americano represents those fundamental values that have made this country great for many years since its inception, you know, and since it's founding. And 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 is 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. And 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. And so Americano was born basically to give the audience the other side of the story, the side of the story that it'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. You know, 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 in their values.

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? One of the main things that I often hear from my listeners and, you know, from whatever, 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. I mean, for example, our audience in Radio Mambi, you know, where, 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. 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? 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. And 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. You know, the Hispanic, yeah, the Hispanic Congressional Caucus has been deliberate, has been very straightforward about their intent to silence voices like Lutuz, 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. And 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. Well, and we see people like newly elected Representative Myra Flores of Texas who is taking a stand. You know, her platform is her faith and a love of country and God. And, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, you know, you know, and a family. And that, I think for so many Americans, that's a message that's a message, right?

And that's a message that really speaks to all of us, no matter our background. Virginia, we are Latinas, but we are Americans. Absolutely. We are Latinas without an ex. Okay? We are not, no ex here and no taco here. No taco here and no ex here. We are Latinas, and we are exactly as Maida Flores describe us. We have a God in our life. We try to build our families. We have, you know, 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 is going to silence us. No one is going to silence us. And that's why I'm so happy that we have interviewed. with journalists like you and that we have a place to work like Americano Media. Let me tell you, this is like a war against conservatism and again conservative hosts. And in Spanish, now that they know that this is the first minority in the United States

and that the people is switching their vote, and when they see that President Biden only have 32, 33% approval, of Hispanics vote, they are very scared, you know, they are very scared. And they do these crazy things like 18 radio stations. Like if Hispanics are idiots and they're going to go vote because someone telling them what to do from a radio station. That is crazy, you know. We don't vote for someone telling us in a radio station what we have to do.

But we vote because inflation is killing our pockets because our people who have two, three shifts, you know, to make the money, enough money to pay to provide for their kids. They are really struggling in 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.

You know, and Hispanics, they are not idiots. And we are not tacos. We are not a Latin X. 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. You know, same if you come from Mexico, if you come from Venezuela, if you come from Puerto Rico, from Dominican Republic, or from Panama, it doesn't matter.

From whatever you come. Just to add to what Lourde says, and it's something that even Maira Flores, Congresswoman, Mairus Flores said, you know, Latinos are, have these values so grounded in our culture that family, you know, God, family, country are so important that everybody becomes family. I mean, Latino families are so big that you're like, you know, even the neighbor becomes Tia and Tio. And so. And the co-workers. And the co-workers. And 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.

this country at this moment. We have got 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, you know, whether you're an immigrant like Lourdes, who became an American citizen, or whether you're a born American citizen like myself who was born in America in a U.S. territory, you know, 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. And 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.

And 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. And it's stories like that that matter and make, you know, what we do here at Americano even more important. It's preserving those values, preserving that family, preserving everything that makes this country amazing. And you know something, Virginia, and for your audience, I think is important. I am not a Republican and I'm independent.

And because that's why 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 Hispanics, conservative independence, you know, 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. Keep it there. All the years I worked as a journalist, that's exactly what I did. I never associated myself with any party, you know, because I didn't want to have to go to vote in primaries. And basically, as a journalist, I wanted to maintain, you know, 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, people, you know, 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 was until I, you know, the moment that I actually stepped aside from journalism became a journalist, journalism professor, that I actually decided, you know, this is where my princess 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, you know, the other option of being, questioning everything. So, and my mom always said my mouth and my questioning with, and my questioning would get me in trouble one day. And so here you are.

So here she is. So that's what I was saying. And that's why I wanted to put down there. We are millions of Hispanics that are independent and they are conservative because of those values that this Congresswoman, she suggested. She's absolutely right. 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 Americana media, check them out and be sure to follow the work that both Lourdes and Danya are doing. Ladies, thank you so much for time today. We really appreciate you joining the show. Virginia, thank you. You have to come to our shows in American. You have to. You have to come.

We're going to bet you. You have to come. And I want to say, and I want to say bye and thank you by and thank you. By reminding your audience, one thing that one of our founding father said, stand for something or die for nothing. And that'll do it for today's episode. Thank you so much for listening to The Daily Signal podcast. If you have not done so already, please be sure to subscribe to the Daily Signal podcast on your podcast listening app of choice. Those are Google Play, Apple Podcast, Spotify, and IHeartRadio.

please leave us a review on a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts and encourage your friends and family to subscribe. Thanks again for listening and we'll be back with you all tomorrow. The Daily Signal podcast is brought to you by more than half a million members of the Heritage Foundation. The executive producers are Rob Blewey and Kate Trinko. Producers are Virginia, Alan, and Doug Blair. Sound designed by Lauren Evans, Mark Geinney, and John Pop. For more information, please visit DailySignal.com.