As every January, the duty to pay tribute to the most universal of Cubans and to Martí of the Americas gathered again the community of Cuban residents in Vienna, solidary friends as well as ambassadors and members of the diplomatic corps of the Latin America and the Caribbean accredited to Vienna on the occasion of the 165th anniversary of the Apostle´s birth.
The meeting point to pay homage to the Cuban National Hero was the bust of José Martí placed at the Latin American Square of the Donaupark. Monuments, busts, and sculptures of famous Latin American figures such as José Martí, Simón Bolívar, Ernesto Che Guevara and Salvador Allende among other heroes are built in this emblematic square.
Martí´s bust was unveiled on 19 May 2004 as a result of a joint effort among ÖKG, the Austria-Cuba Friendship Association and the Ministry of Culture of Cuba and the City Hall of Vienna. It is a life-size work made of bronze by the Cuban artist Alberto Lezcay.
On the occasion of the commemoration, the Ambassador of Cuba, H.E. Mr. Juan Antonio Fernández Palacios laid a wreath of flowers in the Apostle´s Monument and delivered moving remembrance words. The Ambassador referred to the validity of Martí´s thinking for Our America and his call for unity and integration of the continent which has seen its outcomes nowadays in the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC by its Spanish initials).
The Versos Sencillos (Simples Verses) of José Martí, in their musical version, were played by musicians and guitarists to accompany the tribute of a cultural moment.
(Embacuba Austria / Cubaminrex)