By María Josefina Arce
"... Our homeland had the privilege of being the cradle of one of the most extraordinary thinkers ever born in this hemisphere, José Martí." The words of the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, with the feeling and pride of our country to have among its most illustrious sons of the Master.
That is why every January 27, on the eve of his birthday, Havana and all of Cuba light up to pay a well-deserved tribute to a man who put above all the independence of our land and the common welfare.
It is the traditional March of the Torches, like the one that in 1953, on the centenary of the Apostle, young people like Fidel carried out, defying the bloody tyranny of Fulgencio Batista, in order not to let Marti's legacy die.
It is a tribute that is multiplied in different corners of the world, because the National Hero of Cuba went beyond not only our borders, but also the time he lived in. His brief but fruitful life and his wonderful work has been a beacon for many in the world, especially in Latin America.
His ideology continues to be a source of inspiration and teaching. Martí showed us the way to make the world a better place, without exclusions, because as he said: "man is more than white, more than mulatto, more than black, because say man, and all rights are said".
He always advocated for the necessary unity to face common dangers, an urgency in the present times, in which people seek to divide the peoples, to serve hegemonic interests.
From the thoughts of Martí and other pro-independence heroes, regional blocs have been born that work for the benefit of citizens and for the voice of the most humble to be heard. This is the case of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-People's Trade Treaty and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.
These mechanisms, born from the depths of Our America and from the nobility and sacrifice of many, have in their essence that dignity and solidarity for which Marti fought, for the sake of the development of the peoples and humanity.
The Apostle summons, calls the men and women of good to fight for that better world. This is demonstrated by his lively presence in every corner of the planet, where he is paid homage.
And also in the great participation of every edition since 2003 of the International Conference for the Balance of the World, attended without fail by intellectuals, academics, political personalities, social and trade union leaders from all continents.
And Havana has once again been a witness of the apostle's convening power. More than ONE THOUSAND delegates from 80 nations were present in this fifth edition to join efforts for the good of all peoples based on Marti's ideology.
