On the 173rd anniversary of José Martí’s birth, Cuban scholar Cintio Vitier’s profound reflections on the national hero’s legacy resonate with renewed urgency. Rather than claiming fulfillment of Martí’s vision, Vitier argues that revolutionary Cuba’s greatest achievement lies in recognizing the immense work still ahead in realizing social justice under persistently challenging circumstances.
The horizon of Martí’s principles—encompassing social equity, national sovereignty, and human dignity—remains the guiding star for Cuba’s historical development. This progression depends not only on domestic will but also on international relations, particularly U.S. policy toward the island nation.
Martí’s concept of freedom, as analyzed by Vitier, represents a sophisticated balance between individual integrity and collective responsibility. This vision rejects both the manipulation of freedom for selfish purposes and its suppression under ideological dogma. The authentic freedom Martí advocated requires “the habit of working with one’s hands and thinking for oneself” while maintaining “respect, as family honor, for the integrity of others.”
Vitier examines Martí’s seminal speech “With Everyone, and for the Good of Everyone,” noting how the independence leader specifically criticized seven groups of compatriots whose doubts and fears undermined Cuba’s self-determination capabilities. This critical embrace—welcoming those who genuinely contribute to the common good while rejecting those who obstruct progress—remains relevant to contemporary revolutionary efforts.
The relationship between economic challenges and moral education emerges as crucial in Vitier’s analysis. He advocates for economists and educators to work collaboratively, recognizing that material solutions alone cannot fulfill Martí’s vision without corresponding ethical development. This educational project must draw from Cuba’s unique historical continuity, from Father Félix Varela through José de la Luz to Martí himself—a pedagogical tradition that informed even early Cuban Marxists.
Contemporary Cuba already possesses foundational elements of Martí’s vision: national sovereignty, alignment with “the poor of the earth,” and the transformative achievement of universal literacy. The current challenge involves internalizing these objective ethical accomplishments within individual lives, particularly among younger generations who experienced institutionalization and the Special Period rather than the revolution’s initial epic phase.
This process requires developing new spaces for individual expression within the collective framework, allowing participatory democratization to unfold organically. Improvement should be conceived not as top-down adjustments but as organic growth through challenge and differentiation.
Martí’s enduring relevance lies in his recognition that republics aren’t built in a day—that justice and freedom must be continually conquered according to historical circumstances. His epic vision, reborn through each free consciousness, remains Cuba’s perpetual horizon rather than a destination reached.