José Martí

Cuban revolutionary poet and thinker who ignited Latin America's independence movements through writings and anti-colonial activism.

José Martí (1853–1895) was a Cuban nationalist, poet, and philosopher whose ideals fueled Latin America's fight against Spanish colonialism. Exiled multiple times, Martí used his writings, such as the essay "Nuestra América" (1891), to advocate for cultural unity and resistance. His organization of the Cuban Revolutionary Party in 1892 united exiles to plan the 1895 War of Independence.

Martí's concept of "mestra América" emphasized self-determination for indigenous and mestizo populations, opposing U.S. imperialism. His death in the Battle of Dos Ríos (1895) cemented his status as a martyr. Today, Martí is celebrated as Cuba's "Apostle of Independence", with his works influencing figures like Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. The José Martí Memorial in Havana symbolizes his enduring impact on Cuban identity.