José Julián Martí Pérez, born in Havana on January 28, 1853 and died in Dos Ríos on May 19, 1895, is recognized as one of the most emblematic figures in Cuban history.
This national hero was a republican and democratic politician, thinker, journalist, philosopher and poet. Founder of the Cuban Revolutionary Party, he was also the organizer of the war of independence of 1895, called "necessary war", against Spanish domination. In addition to his political commitment, Martí marked the literary world as a precursor of modernism.
On May 18, 1895, while in Dos Ríos, Martí wrote a letter to his friend Manuel Mercado, considered his political testament. A famous passage from this letter testifies to his commitment:
"...I am closer every day to giving my life for my country and for my duty - because I understand it and have the courage to do it - to prevent in time, through the independence of Cuba, the United States from expanding across the Antilles and from falling with greater force on our lands in America. Everything I have done so far, and everything I will do, is motivated by this. It has had to be done silently and indirectly, because some things must remain secret in order to succeed..."
Fidel Castro, leader of the Cuban revolution, would draw on Martí's work and thinking to guide the movement that would lead to victory in 1959.
### The death of Martí
On May 19, 1895, while a Spanish column was patrolling the Dos Ríos region, near Palma Soriano, where Cuban forces were camped, Martí was marching alongside Generals Máximo Gómez and Bartolomé Masó. Despite Gómez's warnings to stay back, Martí separated from the main body of troops, accompanied only by his assistant, Ángel de la Guardia. Unknowingly, he advanced towards a group of Spanish soldiers lying in ambush and was mortally wounded by three shots. The mambises (Cuban fighters) were unable to recover his body.
After several burials, Martí's remains were finally placed on May 27 in niche 134 of the south gallery of the Santa Ifigenia cemetery in Santiago de Cuba. A mausoleum was later erected in his honor in the same cemetery.
### The Mausoleum of José Martí
Inaugurated on June 30, 1951, the mausoleum is an imposing structure measuring 26 meters high and 86 meters long, comprising a burial chamber and outdoor spaces. The central construction, shaped like a hexagon, displays inside the coats of arms of several American republics of the 1950s. This majestic monument houses the remains of the man who embodies the spirit of the struggle for Cuban freedom.
Visiting this place of memory is a must during your stay in Santiago de Cuba, offering an immersion in the history and legacy of the national hero.
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