Cubans and friends in China honor Jose Marti

The Cuban Embassy accompanied by representatives of China, diplomats from other countries and friends of Cuba here commemorated Jose Marti's 170th birthday, highlighting his legacy and thinking.

The ceremony took place in front of the bust of Cuba’s National Hero, created by artist Yuan Xikon and located in the Jintai Museum in Beijing, together with sculptures of several Latin American heroes.

Cuban Ambassador Carlos Miguel Pereira and Qiu Xiaoqi, special representative of the Chinese Government for Latin American and Caribbean affairs, laid a wreath before the statue and those present paid their respects to the Apostle with white roses and a minute of silence.

In his speech, Pereira highlighted the current relevance of Marti’s thinking and pointed out that despite his brief passage through life, he was a man of extraordinary courage, humanism and patriotism.

The Maestro, as Marti is also called, foresaw the dangers of imperial hegemonism that today beset developing countries such as Cuba and China, and taught us to defend our principles, to fight for sovereignty, to love our homeland and to promote integration, respect, equality and brotherhood among peoples, Ambassador Pereira said.

He recalled that Jose Marti inspired the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, and his ideals are at the foundation of the internationalist projection of that project and the construction of socialism in Cuba.

Our Hero today continues being present in the new generation of leaders in the country, especially in the efforts to consolidate a model of independent development, despite the siege by the empire and the policies of blockades and sanctions, the diplomat added.

Also present at the ceremony were the ambassadors from Panama, Jamaica, Uruguay and El Salvador, officials from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other Chinese organizations.

In addition, the program included a cultural moment in charge of Cuban children and young people, with songs, poetry declamation and the dramatization of works written by Marti.