José Martí

José Martí was one of the key organizers and voices of Cuba's independence movement against Spain. He died in 1895 during the war, which made him a political martyr as well as a literary figure.

Versos sencillos is Martí's famous poetry collection, remembered for its direct lyric style and patriotic feeling. Several lines from it later became the basis for the song Guantanamera.

No. Martí was also an essayist, journalist, diplomat, and revolutionary organizer who spent significant time in exile, including in the United States. His writing connects Latin American identity, anti-colonial politics, and literary modernismo.

Martí became a national symbol used across very different Cuban political traditions. His name appears on schools, monuments, and institutions, and his essays are still central to discussions of Cuban nationalism.