Havana Cuba. – Once again the Cuban rulers are bidding to attract José Martí to the side of Castroism. This time it is the celebration of the V International Conference “For the balance of the world”which these days brings together more than 1,000 delegates from 82 countries in Havana, almost all exponents of leftist ideology.
According to the official Cuban discourse: “Martí’s thought is intended to guarantee balance, in the face of the imbalance generated by the expansion of imperialism in the southern towns.”
Unfortunately, these representatives ―Cubans as well as foreigners― who organize an event of this type do not stop to think about the contradiction of advocating for a balanced world from a deeply unbalanced nation.
Because here in Cuba, among other things, the Martí principle of “With everyone and for the good of all” is not fulfilled. Rather it would be: “With some and for the good of a few”, a dominant ideology that leaves no room for other political ideas, and a class entrenched in power that prevents the existence of those who would like a healthy alternation between different political forces to lead the destinies of the nation.
Of course, the Castro think tanks have also collaborated in this spurious appropriation of the figure of the Apostle of our independence. In the book Cuba: revolution or reform? (April Publishing House, 2012), Enrique Ubieta Gomezan organic intellectual of Castroism exposes:
“In the history of Cuba, two tendencies acquired an opposite direction: the founding revolutionary, promoter of the birth of the country, and the conservative reformist, support of a hesitant, exclusive elite, ultimately anti-national.”
Ubieta places Martí in the revolutionary camp, which would lead the Apostle to commune with others that he also considers to be revolutionaries, such as the Cuban communists of the 1930s and 1940s (John MarinelloBlas Roca Calderío, Lázaro Peña…) and, of course, with Fidel Castro and his followers.
Ubieta is wrong, because the present counterpoint in the history of Cuba has been between liberal ideas and leftist ideas. The first, true founders of our nation; the second, brought against the grain of the best traditions of Cubanness. The Martí who warned Máximo Gómez that a Republic was not managed as a military camp was commanded, was obviously the bearer of liberal ideas.
If one wanted to delve into Martí’s thought in order to achieve balance in Cuba, it would suffice to review article 5 of the Bases of the Cuban Revolutionary Party, which establishes: “The Cuban Revolutionary Party does not have the objective of bringing to Cuba a victorious group that he consider the Island as his prey and dominion, but to prepare, with as many effective means as the freedom of the foreigner allows, the war that must be waged for the decorum and good of all Cubans, and deliver the free homeland to the entire country ”.
In other words, there was no need for a single party to govern Cuba. The Apostle was aware that a one-party system would only bring despotism and oppression to the homeland. This is the clearest lie to that eagerness of Castroism to grant his single party the status of heir to the Marti party.
However, we know that Eduardo Torres Cuevas, Yusuam Palacios Ortega and the rest of those who interpret Martí’s legacy in the way that suits the machinery of power, will continue to look outside to avoid seeing what is happening inside the Island.
OPINION ARTICLE
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