Martha Flores Montero

Martha was a Cuban radio broadcaster, journalist, commentator, and singer, known for her career in the United States, where she was known as the "Queen of the Night" and as one of the figures of Cuban exile.

For more than six decades, the Cuban commentator, singer, and actress maintained an impeccable trajectory in radio and in the community life of Miami as a spokesperson for noble causes in favor of underprivileged populations, such as elderly people and cancer patients, and domestic animals.

She was born in Cárdenas; at an early age her family moved to Havana, where she studied at Colegio La Inmaculada. She studied Journalism at the Escuela Manuel Márquez Sterling and, later, graduated as a stenographer and typist from the Escuela Profesional de Comercio. In 1959 she graduated as a broadcaster from the Universidad de La Habana.

Her father did not want her to work in the media, so she dedicated herself to administrative work, both at the Banco Agrícola e Industrial de Cuba and at the Senate of the republic, from which stemmed her friendship with important political figures.

After Fidel Castro came to power, she fled to Miami in a small airplane with the help of Cuban senator Rolando Masferrer. She began her life in Miami with "four part-time jobs": selling clothing for women downtown and furniture in a business on Calle Ocho. She kept the books in a garage, sang in a restaurant, and hosted a radio segment on WMIE called La Voz de la Mujer. This radio space was not paid; rather, she had to pay $87.50 weekly.

"I was the first woman at this station," Flores said in a 1999 interview. "I only talked about politics. It was the Cuba problem, the Cuba problem, and the Cuba problem."

Professionally linked with the Univisión radio chain and especially with the radio station Radio Mambí 710 AM, Flores presented 'La noche y usted,' a program where she addressed topics of interest to Cuban exiles in the United States.

Flores distinguished herself through her open microphone policy, which allowed radio listeners to talk about whatever they wanted without time limits, and also through her right-wing, anti-Castro editorial line.

From WMIE, Flores moved, in the late 1960s, to the station La Fabulosa WFAB, and, in 1976, to Unión Radio WOCN. In 1982 she created her flagship program La Noche y Usted, on WRHC-Cadena Azul. She joined WQBA in 1992, and, in 1996, WAQI Radio Mambí, a bastion of Cuban radio in Miami that belongs to Univision Communications.

She also worked as an activist for the rights of Latin American immigrants, created the foundation La Rosa Blanca to address the needs of this population, and worked on causes such as the anti-cancer league and the league against blindness, among others. Through her radio program, she would obtain a wheelchair for a disabled person just as easily as medicine for a sick person.

For her constant contributions, she received numerous awards and recognition from organizations and local governments, including a star on Calle Ocho in 1996.

In late May 2020 she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She soon began a course of radiotherapy treatment. Despite her illness, she continued to present her nightly program, recording the last edition on July 17 of that same year. She passed away on July 18, 2020; the news was confirmed by her family and by the Univision Miami network. She died at the age of 92.

Martha Flores was one of the most prominent figures of Cuban exile, who for decades captivated the listeners of Hispanic radio in Miami with her charisma and dedication.

Flores is survived by her husband, Rosendo Soriano, her son José, her daughter-in-law Gricel Acosta, and her granddaughters, Chelsea Durán and Jocelyn Janes.