Cuban Sports Broadcaster René del Río Dies in Miami

July 24, 2026

Cuban sports broadcaster René del Río Rizco has died in Miami, according to reports from Cuban community media in the United States. Del Río was one of the most recognizable voices in Cuban baseball broadcasting for several decades.

A native of Ciego de Ávila province, he began his career at Radio Surco, the provincial station where he trained as a narrator, before expanding his reach through Radio Habana Cuba. He later joined the sports department at Tele Rebelde, covering national and international competitions.

Del Río became well known among baseball fans for his restrained broadcasting style and his signature call on fly balls: "Fly al center... está dominado" ("Fly to center... it's caught"), a phrase that became closely associated with his name among generations of listeners. He worked alongside his brother Everildo del Río, also a broadcaster at Radio Surco, with whom he covered national baseball championships.

After leaving Cuba, Del Río lived for a time in Venezuela before settling in Miami, where he spent his final years. No cause of death or funeral arrangements have been disclosed so far.