PRESS RELEASE – ON Sunday, January 28, 2018, at 10.30 a.m., the Humanistic Solidarity Association (Saint Lucia Cuba) in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba, at a private ceremony, commemorated the memory and legacy of Jose Marti, the Cuban National Hero, on the 165th anniversary of his birth, with the laying of wreaths at his monument at the grounds of the Embassy at Rodney Bay.
Remarks were delivered by Jorge Soberon Luis, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba; Marlene Alexander, President of the Humanistic Solidarity Association; and OrquidiaPiñero, a representative of the Cuban Medical Brigade in Saint Lucia.
Prior to Sunday’s activity, on January 1, 2018, the HSA joined the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba, in celebration of the 59th anniversary of the Triumph of the Cuban Revolution of January 1, 1959 — a historic occasion for which New Year’s Day has a very special significance for Cubans.
The Cuban Ambassador, in his remarks, highlighted the vast legacy of Jose Marti, noting that his vision of the future continues to be relevant today, not only as a guide in the creation of a better Cuban nation, but also as a reference for future generations. He also highlighted that José Martí was not only Cuba’s national hero, but also very significantly, a vital element of the Cuban national identity, because no one could be a Cuban patriot without being a partisan of Martí.
The President of HSA also spoke on the life of Jose Marti, who became an activist against Spanish colonialism in Cuba from a very young age.
Marti was very concerned about the threat of Unites States imperialism in Cuba and, like Fidel Castro, who emerged some decades later, Jose Marti always stood bravely in opposition to the forces of colonialism and imperialism in his beloved country.
Fidel Castro, from a very young age, was inspired by the example and the life of Jose Marti. The two patriotic Cubans had much in common but, most notably, they both dedicated their lives to the struggle, not only for political independence for Cuba, but also to the Bolivarian dream and the vision of freedom from the mental slavery that had been universally imposed by colonialism.
A fact that is not very well-known outside of Cuba is that not only was Jose Marti an indomitable, brave, steadfast and revolutionary Cuban patriot, attaining the accolade of the Apostle of Cuban Independence, but that he was also considered by the Cuban people and its revolutionary government as the Intellectual Author of the Cuban Revolution.
Jose Marti was born on January 26, 1853 and succumbed on the field of battle during the Battle of Dos Rios on May 19, 1895.
Although José Marti never lived to see the liberation of Cuba, his legacy continues to reign supreme and ingrained in the memories of Cubans and others around the world.
The HSA salutes the heroic people of the Republic of Cuba for keeping these historic accomplishments alive and well.