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The soul of the Revolution
Jose Marti was a renaissance man — journalist, poet and leading figure in the Cuban struggle for independence. OLLIE HOPKINS explains his relevance in today’s Cuba
A statue of Jose Marti in New York

January 28 2018 marks the 165th anniversary of the birth of Jose Marti, the writer, journalist, poet and leading figure in the struggle for Cuban independence

Each year on the eve of birth anniversary, in over 160 municipalities across the island, Cuban youth lead the Marcha de las Antorchas (March of the Torches) in processions that pay tribute to their national hero.

The marches, where the torches represent the flame of life and liberty, date back to 1953, the centenary of Marti’s birth, when Fidel Castro, Abel and Haydee Santamaria, Melba Hernandez and their comrades marched from the University of Havana to the Fragua Martiana, where the dreadful San Lazaro quarry used to be, and where Marti, as a teenager, was sentenced to hard labour by the Spanish rulers.

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
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