Puentes Culturales, the region’s only bi-lingual Latinx show, is heard live Thursday mornings at 11:00 on WRKE and on WRKE.org plus multiple live streaming options including TuneIn. Since September of 2019, host Dr. Jose Banuelos Montes, Associate Professor in Roanoke College’s Spanish Language Department, has been sharing relevant local information for and about the Latino/Latina community as well as discussing with his guests important topics of the day. Among those are Hispanic culture and society, politics, health and wellness, entertainment, and historical perspectives of interest to the Latinx community in Salem and Roanoke.
Podcasts of the program are posted on this page and can be shared with friends and family. If you have a topic suggestion for future Puentes Culturales programs or questions about the show, please contact us through our web link Station Email ([email protected]) or our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/WRKERC
Studio Line: 540-375-2277
Mailing Address:
WRKE
221 College Lane
Salem, VA 24153
Puentes Culturales for September 10, 2026 features as our guest is Roanoke College President Frank Shushok.
Since joining Roanoke College in 2022 from an administrative position at Virginia Tech, Dr. Shushok has worked in partnership with the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and regional partners to position the College as an agile, innovative, and learner-centered institution for the 21st century. https://www.roanoke.edu/about/office_of_the_president/meet_president_shushok
On Puentes Culturales for September 17, 2026 host Jose Banuelos Montes interviews electrical engineer David Garcia. Originally from Mexico, David is coordinating the social media accounts for Casa Latina, a non-profit agency that addresses the needs of the Spanish-speaking community in the Roanoke Valley. https://casalatinarv.org/ “Nuestro propósito es fortalecer al individuo, la familia y la comunidad.”
On Puentes Culturales for September 24, 2026 host Jose Banuelos Montes is joined in the studio by María Elcina Valencia Córdoba (born 1963) who is on an American tour including a stop at Roanoke College. An Afro-Colombian teacher, singer, songwriter and poet Elcina is dedicated to teaching the traditions of the Colombian Pacific, Elcina works deal with themes such as family, love, traditions. Her works also focus on the effort to rescue the cultural identity of the people of African descent, as well as the searches for the claim of the rights of its people.
On Puentes Culturales for October 8, 2026 host Jose Banuelos Montes is joined by Maria Nieto, a double major in Elementary Education and Spanish at Roanoke College. Maria is Vice President/Social Media Coordinator for Model United Nations and a member of the board of the Hispanic Organization of Leadership and Achievement. Maria’s passion is to be an Elementary school teacher and help kids become achievers and successful.
