Called the Apostle, Marti was a distinguished thinker, recognized for his journalistic work and as a poet, a legacy that is reflected in texts such as “La Edad de Oro” (The Golden Age, 1878-1882), “Versos Sencillos” (Simple Verses, 1891), and “Nuestra America” (Our America, 1891).

He founded the Cuban Revolutionary Party and organized the Cuban War of Independence, an offensive against the Spanish domination, where Marti fell in combat in Dos Rios on Sunday, May 19, 1895.

Also known as “the most universal of all Cubans”, Marti lost his life when, in his first confrontation, he was hit by bullets.

Despite General in Chief of the Liberation Army Maximo Gomez’s recommendation that he remain in the rearguard, Marti departed to the front, accompanied by his assistant, because his ethics and sense of duty did not allow him to lag behind those whom he had called to the battle field.

Marti’s corpse was recognized and collected by the enemy, who retreated under the constant attacks of the Cubans, who were determined to recover it, and he was buried in Remanganaguas town.

His mortal remains were finally buried in the Santa Ifigenia cemetery in Santiago de Cuba.

Jose Martí remains, more than a century after his death, a central figure in Cuba’s collective historical memory and an intellectual reference for humanity.

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