Cuban writer and ethnologist Miguel Barnet received today the title of Doctor Honoris Causa in Letters from the University of Havana, in a ceremony held in the Aula Magna of that educational institution.
The rector of the student entity, Dr. Miriam Nicado, read the resolution that distinguishes the outstanding essayist, author of the emblematic work Biography of a Maroon and scholar of the transculturation of religions of African origin in Cuba.
In his speech, Nicado cataloged Barnet as a leading figure in the literature and cultural thought of the Revolution and of Latin American and Caribbean unity, with a literary production that constitutes a milestone in the narrative of the continent.
Also in the document, he praised the work of the poet in the Foundation of the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore of the Academy of Sciences of Cuba and his research in the ethnological and anthropological field of deep study of the roots of culture in this country.
His texts on Cuban cultural traditions are an obligatory reference for researchers and specialists, said the academic of the also president of the Fernando Ortiz Foundation, of whom he was a student and disciple.
For his part, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Dr. José Antonio Baujín, recalled Alejo Carpentier’s praise for Biography of a Maroon and the many translations of the book and the theater, music and audiovisual performances.
It must be placed in fair dialogue with the great work of Fernando Ortiz and other excellent writers from Cuba and the world because in his lines he defends with contemporary mastery the theme of autonomy or the illusion of man, Baujín said.
Barnet thanked for this title that other illustrious figures of research and letters had previously obtained, such as the historian Eusebio Leal, whom he fondly remembered in his speech, as well as his teachers Carpentier, Mirtha Aguirre and Roberto Fernando Retamar.
The essayist said that the distinction commits him to continue exploring the ethnographic zone of the island, putting aside the weight of the years, and reminds him of Ortiz, who made us get closer to the deepest essence of Cuban identity.
Also present at the event were the Minister of Higher Education, José Ramón Saborido; the President of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba, Luis Morlote; as well as other cultural personalities and students from the University of Havana.
Among his writings, Miguel Barnet treasures the books Canción de Rachel and Gallego, and has won other relevant awards such as the Literary Critics Award (1986) and the Special Prize for Cultural Journalism for the work of life (2019).
He also obtained the title of Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Mérida in Mexico and from the Higher Institute of Art of Cuba, the Alejo Carpentier medal and the First Degree Félix Varela order.
