The Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz drew on a 19th-century anniversary this Monday to convey a patriotic-revolutionary message: on his X account, he commemorated the 156th anniversary of the execution of Pedro "Perucho" Figueredo, author of the Cuban National Anthem, quoting the phrase that historical tradition attributes to him before the firing squad.
"On the 156th anniversary of the execution of Perucho Figueredo, author of our Bayamo Anthem, 'the Fatherland looks upon you with pride,' because as he himself said shortly before he fell, 'to die for the Fatherland is to live,'" wrote Marrero Cruz under the hashtag #CubaViveEnSuHistoria.
Pedro Felipe Figueredo Cisneros was born in Bayamo on February 18, 1818. A lawyer, musician, and mambí fighter, he composed the melody of La Bayamesa in 1867 and wrote its lyrics on October 20, 1868, when the independence forces seized the city of Bayamo at the beginning of the Ten Years' War.
According to Cuban historical tradition, Figueredo wrote the verses on the march, from the back of his horse, in response to the popular outcry following the Mambí victory.
The most well-known verse of the anthem states: "To battle, bayameses, / for the homeland looks upon you with pride. / Do not fear a glorious death, / for to die for the homeland is to live."
The Ten Years' War —the first major Cuban independence conflict against Spain, which began with the Grito de Yara on October 10, 1868, by Carlos Manuel de Céspedes— was the setting in which Figueredo actively participated until his capture.
Spanish troops captured him ill in August 1870 and transferred him to Santiago de Cuba, where he was sentenced to death and executed on August 17, 1870, at the age of 52.
Historical tradition recounts that, standing before the firing squad, he shouted: “To die for the Fatherland is to live!”, turning that line from the anthem into a symbol of his martyrdom.
The Constituent Assembly adopted La Bayamesa as the Cuban National Anthem on November 5, 1900. In its official current version, only the first two stanzas are sung.
Marrero's message follows the usual pattern of the Cuban regime, invoking figures and events from the 19th century to reinforce its discourse of resistance and revolutionary continuity, which is set to be particularly intensified in 2026, the year officially declared as the centenary of Fidel Castro.
Two days earlier, the prime minister had posted on the same social media platform that "Fidel lives in every place where truth and justice are defended," and on August 13 he had concluded his posts with the slogans "Long live Fidel! Homeland or death, we will prevail!"
The tweet about Figueredo garnered just 301 views and one "like," with zero comments, reflecting the limited impact that these official proclamations have among platform users.
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