150 years have passed since the death in combat of the undisputed initiator of the Wars for Independence, of the first President of the Republic in Arms, of the man who sacrificed well-being and affection for the greater cause of the full freedom of his people: Carlos Manuel de Cespedes.

The epithet of Father of the Nation, unity of the nation, summarizes his extraordinary contribution to history.

Céspedes was a founder. Céspedes is present in the very consolidation of national identity, as a symbol of a generation of men and women who assumed Cuban identity as an emblem of a certain condition: the desire for independence did not obey only economic imperatives (as some from excessive pragmatic positions have suggested).

The Revolution of Céspedes and his comrades was also a cultural revolution.

Dialectics are the driving force of great processes: the contradictions between those who waged the first war regarding their organization and conceptions are understandable.

Ingratitude is unjustifiable, but that’s also what history is about, which ends up recognizing the merits and true implications of its main figures, with their lights and shadows.

Much can still be written and reflected on Céspedes and his relationships with all the actors in the conflict. But his example is pristine. The Cuban Revolution is unique, and was started by Carlos Manuel de Céspedes in October 1868, with his call for an uprising against oppression. It’s the spirit of the entire feat.

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff