Cuban youths to reenact traditional March of Torches

On Friday, Cuban youths will reenact in the country's provinces the traditional March of the Torches, as a tribute to National Hero José Martí on his 170th birthday, on January 28.

The President of the Cuban Federation of University Students (FEU), Emilio Morejón, told Juventud Rebelde newspaper that the parade will take place from the steps of the University of Havana to the Forge of Martí under the slogan “His torch, my strength.”

According to Morejón, the activity will also be a tribute to the historic leader Fidel Castro, the “pioneer generation” of the Revolution, and a “call to have Marti as a guide for the rebellious actions of the young ones.”

The student leader pointed out that the tribute to the National Hero will be extended to social media with a world wide message action through Twitter from 18:00 hours to 23:00 hours, local time, under the tags #MartíVive, #SuAntorchaMiFuerza, and #MartianosHoy.

The delegates attending the 5th International Conference for the World’s Balance, ongoing in Havana, until January 28, will participate in the march along with the Cuban young people.

The first March of the Torches was held in Cuba, the midnight of January 27th, 1953, awaiting the 100th anniversary of the birth of José Martí.

According to historical researches, the march also became an act of protest against the crimes of dictator Fulgencio Batista (in power after the 1952 coup d’état) and the persecution of those young people who sought to change the political course of the island.