Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
Nuevitas, Camagüey, Jan 26.- In the heart of this city, very close to Salvador Cisneros Betancourt Park and beside the Catholic Church, stands one of the most cherished monuments for the people of Nuevitas: the Martí Corner, built in honor of Cuba's National Hero, José Martí. A man who gave his best for independence and bequeathed his thought, transformed into poetry and action.
The site was created in the 20th century by the José Pennino Marble Company of Havana, using Carrara statuary marble. The design was carried out by Professor A. Jacopi, while the execution was overseen by master builder Francisco Agosto. The bust of Martí was completed on October 6, 1937, and placed just four days later in what was then called the Martí Alameda.
The original idea emerged in the 1930s, when members of the Fernando Figueredo Socarrás Lodge of Nuevitas promoted a donation to build a public library. Although the funds were insufficient, it was decided to erect a monument to the Apostle of Cuban independence, in the hope that his teachings would never be forgotten.
The monument is distinguished by its symbolic richness: the bust is oriented toward the sun, the chains surrounding the site represent the unity of Masonic lodges, and each step of the staircase symbolizes universal values such as strength, beauty, intelligence, rectitude, courage, prudence, and philanthropy. These elements reflect the fraternity and Martí’s principles that accompany the Cuban nation in its historical journey.
The site has been the setting for numerous sociopolitical and cultural activities, such as commemorations of Martí's birth every January 28, Pioneer celebrations, and events on April 4—the anniversaries of the José Martí Pioneer Organization and the Young Communists Union—and the centenary of the teacher's fall in 1995, which brought together a large crowd in a massive parade.
In times of struggle, the monument was chosen by young Nuevitas rebels to protest against Batista's regime on January 28, 1957, placing flowers and posters on the bust as a symbol of resistance.
This has also been a meeting place for artists and writers. Cuban actress María de los Ángeles Santana recalled it in her book "Yo seré la tentación (…)" as a gathering space for young poets and singers. In an interview, former director of the Aurelia Castillo school, Lourdes Martínez, highlighted that the Martí Site served as the setting for the initiation of José Martí Pioneers in the 1990s, accompanied by the Concert Band, during the ceremony where neckerchiefs were placed on primary school children.
Officially recognized by the Office of the Historian of Camagüey and the Municipal Museum of Nuevitas, the Martí Corner transcends as local heritage. However, beyond titles, the people of Nuevitas feel it as a living space of their eternal debt to history, because with each visit, each event, each flower laid, the certainty is renewed that Martí remains the guide and brave poetry of the homeland. (Celia Serrano Maldonado/Radio Nuevitas) (Photo: Ecured)
