The United States Embassy in Cuba published a video on Facebook highlighting the figure of José Martí as a symbol of freedom, dignity, and individual rights, in commemoration of the 131st anniversary of his death in combat at Dos Ríos on May 19, 1895.
The clip was shared under the hashtag #Freedom250, a global campaign by U.S. embassies to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States' independence, scheduled for July 4, 2026.
"The ideas of Martí continue to remind us that freedom belongs to all those who believe in human dignity and in the power of individuals to transform their societies," stated the office in the message accompanying the publication.
The diplomatic mission added that "its vision of freedom, dignity, and individual rights continues to inspire generations in Cuba and throughout the hemisphere."
The video explores the historical role of Tampa, Florida, as one of the nerve centers of the Cuban independence movement.
"Many expeditions for the support of the independence cause left from Tampa. Many of the heroes of the independence movement met, prepared here in Tampa, and departed from here," is heard in the transcript of the material.
The piece also refers to the San Carlos Institute of Key West and emphasizes that in 1892, the "unity of all Cubans and those who were not Cubans was achieved in order to join the cause of independence."
It was precisely at that institute where Martí promoted the Foundations of the Cuban Revolutionary Party, formally founded on April 10, 1892, to unite Cubans in exile.
The publication is part of a day of intense symbolic activity by Washington towards Cuba.
The chargé d'affaires Mike Hammer congratulated the Cuban people on May 20, the anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Cuba in 1902, and recalled that this date was erased from the official calendar by the regime after the 1959 Revolution.
The Secretary of State Marco Rubio also issued a message directly to the Cubans, stating that May 20 was the day when "the Cuban flag flew for the first time over an independent country."
This is not the first time the embassy has used the figure of Martí to associate him with values of freedom in contrast to the official discourse of the Cuban regime, which also claims the national hero but from a revolutionary narrative.
On January 28, on the 157th anniversary of Martí's birth, Hammer stated that the national hero "reminds us that freedom is not just a conquered right, but a responsibility".
In May 2025, the chargé d'affaires visited Martí's tomb in the Santa Ifigenia cemetery in Santiago de Cuba and quoted the Marti saying: "Respect for the freedom and thoughts of others... is fanaticism in me".
The #Freedom250 campaign links these tributes to the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of American independence, which will be celebrated on July 4, 2026, and projects Martí's figure as a symbolic bridge between the freedom aspirations of both nations.
Filed under: