Kingston, Jamaica, 20 May 2022. Under Martí's maxim that "To honour is an honour", several dozen Cuban residents in Jamaica and members of the state mission, along with friends from Jamaica and other Caribbean and African nations, met at the Cuban Embassy to commemorate the 127th anniversary of the demise of our national hero.
At the meeting, Osvaldo Cárdenas, historian and president of the Association of Cuban Residents in Jamaica, offered remarks about the presence of Martí in this island, where valuable Cuban patriots gathered in the period prior to the "Necessary War" of 1895. The Cuban teacher and artist Meliset Rodríguez delighted those present with his musical interpretation of "Cultivo una Rosa Blanca" and "Guantanamera". For his part, Dr. José Armando Arronte Villamarín, coordinator of the Cuban Medical Brigade in Jamaica, recalled the link between Martí's teachings and health, in the context of the 59th anniversary of Cuba's international medical collaboration.
The "highlight" of the event was the screening of the documentary "Dos Ríos: El enigma", which addresses the events that led to the fall in combat of the Apostle on 19 May 1895, and the different theories that exist around his death. The material was presented by the Cuban ambassador Fermín Quiñones; who pointed out that the date, although it has a mournful component, should be an occasion to celebrate the fruitful life and work of "El Maestro", and the validity of his legacy in the new generations of Cubans.
Of special significance was the placement of a bouquet of white roses at the foot of the bust of Martí that guards the entrance of the Diplomatic Mission, as a well-deserved tribute to the most universal of Cubans.