February 25, 2008, Commander:

Yesterday morning at the start of a work session of the Meeting of Provincial Presidents of the Joséí Martí Art Instructors Brigade, we were shaken when received the news of your message. We were at the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba and were just about 20 people in a small room, used as a class room for a masterly class given by Helmo Hernández. To start the work session we briefly remembered everything that happened during the week end in Granma province in the celebrations for the Day of the Art Instructor, a celebration that, not by a chance, we specially dedicate to you, by declaring the First Honour Member of our movement.

We can not lie to you, firstly when we received the news, we were shaken and sad, but quickly our thoughts were filled with the concrete tasks you have deposited in this army and that the best way of keep our loyalty to our principles is to consciously fulfil them with the required love, care and dedication. Before starting the class we all sang the National Hymn, it seemed there were there about hundred people, when we finish, we all had a tear in our cheek.

The work session was very productive and we did not wanted to finish it without telling you the deep compromise this cultural army, as you called us, has with the continuity of the revolutionary process, with the people and with our children. To you, our total support, the promise of not failing the Party and this brave people ever. Our piece in this work is secured, we will not allow, under no circumstance, our culture to stop being the sword and shield of the nation.

Provincial Presidents and National Direction of the José Martí Brigade of Art Instructors.

(Cubarte)