Cuban broadcaster and actress Laritza Camacho took to Facebook to share her thoughts on José Martí, which quickly turned into a pointed critique of the government. This comes as the nation marks the 131st anniversary of Martí's death in battle at Dos Ríos on May 19, 1895.
Her reflection begins with a personal anecdote: She recalls her mother, Felicia Cabrera Cabrera, a dedicated schoolteacher, who once rose early to fill the blackboard with Martí's image and quotes before her students arrived. "There were no slogans, just Martí, Cuba, and the Cubans," Laritza emphasized.
The post features a photo of that blackboard, showcasing four Martí quotes chalked onto it: "Light is the supreme joy of men," "A grain of Poetry seasons a century," "Complaint is a prostitution of character," and "A just principle, from the depths of a cave, can do more than an army."
Martí’s Titles: From Apostle to National Hero
Camacho reminisces about a time when she was eight or nine years old, noting the shift from calling Martí "apostle" to "National Hero," supposedly due to the religious implications of the former term.
However, this change never truly caught on: "Apostle and teacher remained rooted in nearly everyone, even to this day," she clarified.
The actress dismisses the official justification with clarity: "apostle" is derived from Greek and denotes an ambassador, a mission-driven envoy. Martí's mission was always about uniting Cubans.
Defending Martí’s True Legacy
"I want to keep calling Martí an apostle, as a reminder that his unifying mission is far from complete," she wrote, pointing out the contradiction of those who claim to follow Martí's ideals: "We call ourselves Martían but attack others if they think differently, and worse, we stay silent or look away if injustices don't affect us directly."
The most politically charged statement in her text is striking: "A power that doesn't listen to its people is not Martían."
This isn't the first time Camacho has defended Martí's legacy against how the regime exploits it.
In January, she countered official journalist Arleen Rodríguez Derivet, who tried to justify power outages by saying "José Martí never knew electric light," with a powerful retort: "Keep playing around, but don't play with Martí where his people dwell. Martí is perhaps the only light we have left. Respect it."
In April, she criticized the extravagant spending on the official event marking the 65th anniversary of the socialist proclamation of the revolution in El Vedado, while people struggled to commute due to a lack of transportation. "Noise, slogans, and waste. What good character!" she summarized then.
The Symbolism of Camacho's Reflection
Camacho's post, shared on the anniversary of Martí's death, gains additional symbolism against the backdrop of a structurally struggling Cuba. Even Miguel Díaz-Canel admitted in April that "there is absolutely no fuel for almost anything," yet he reaffirmed socialism as "Cuba's only way forward."
In contrast to a government that invokes Martí in its rhetoric and slogans, Camacho reminds us that the true Martían legacy is about listening to the people, not silencing them.
Understanding Laritza Camacho’s Critique of Cuban Government
Why did Laritza Camacho criticize the Cuban government?
Laritza Camacho criticized the Cuban government for not listening to its people and misusing José Martí's legacy for political purposes.
What is the significance of calling Martí an "apostle" according to Camacho?
Camacho argues that calling Martí an "apostle" is significant as it highlights his mission of uniting Cubans, a mission she believes is still incomplete.
How does Camacho view the Cuban government's use of Martí's image?
Camacho criticizes the Cuban government's use of Martí's image, asserting that it contradicts Martí's true legacy of listening to the people.