Norma Goicochea, president of the Cuban Association of the United Nations (ACNU), stated exclusively to Prensa Latina that civil society in the Caribbean nation is founded on Marti’s thought, “first and foremost because we unite under the principle of ‘with all and for the welbeing of all.'”

  She stated that this civil society works for the principle of unity, in diversity and plurality, with a critical perspective, arguing, “We are not a perfect society, but we do work on the basis of a more just society.”

  We will continue to support the revolutionary project of building a better country, for the construction of that sovereign, socialist, independent, and sustainable nation, and “work for that nation that is resilient, resistant, and spiritual, and that spirituality comes to us from (José) Martí and Fidel (Castro),” she stated.

  “Marti’s thought and its universality are not only in all that he encompassed, but also because it transcends eras and continues to shape our contemporary actions, as it defined Fidel’s generation in his time,” Goicochea reasoned.

  In statements to Prensa Latina during a break in the final session of the Jose Martí International Colloquy, Homeland, Unity, and Humanity, she admitted that Cubans face many challenges imposed by the criminal blockade, strengthened by the U.S. government’s executive order of January 29 and again on May 1.

“We cannot underestimate the danger, but we also share Marti’s conviction that our homeland is humanity, and this is a cultured population. We are forged in that culture that makes us free, and in the defense of that freedom, we remain inspired by Martí’s thought and his actions, because he died in combat, and we too will die facing the sun,” she declared firmly.

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