On the 131st anniversary of his death in combat, floral offerings sent by Raú[l] and Díaz-Canel, as well as one on behalf of the people of Cuba, were placed at the National Hero's Mausoleum.
SANTIAGO DE CUBA-. On the tomb of José Martí, our National Hero, the flag and white flowers do not only evoke sublime verses, but become a symbol that ensures commitment to his legacy—a legacy founded on the principle that "the Homeland requires sacrifices (...) it is an altar and not a pedestal (...) one serves it, but does not use it for one's own benefit."
As a worthy tribute, on the 13_th anniversary of his death in combat for Cuba's independence, a representation of the people of Santiago—led by the province's main authorities—went to the Santa Ifigenia heritage cemetery, where the Mausoleum preserves his remains and overlooks the surroundings.
Following the traditional changing of the guard of honor, the military ceremony—officiated by students from the Camilo Cienfuegos Military School of Santiago de Cuba and cadets from the Interarmas General José Maceo, Order Antonio Maceo—reached its zenith with the presentation of floral offerings sent by the Leader at the head of the Revolution, Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, and the First Secretary of the Party Central Committee and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez; as well as an offering sent on behalf of the people of Cuba, which recalls another Martí maxim: "to honor the Homeland is a way to fight for it."
During the political-cultural event, it was asserted that "the best tribute we can pay is to not rest for a single moment when it comes to defending the Revolution (...) because although we are a country of peace, we are prepared to give our lives (...) as taught to us by the Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, his greatest disciple," according to Dr. C. Ricardo Hodelín Tablada, from the Union of Historians of Cuba.
Subsequently, a group of young people from various sectors held an exchange regarding Martí, his imprint, and the great challenges Cubans face in continuing his work and defending the Homeland, "at times when it is threatened by the giant of seven leagues, which is the United States government," commented one of the participants.
It is also noteworthy that other commemorative acts were held in the rest of the Santiago municipalities, especially in Contramaestre, Palma Soriano, and San Luis, which are part of the Apostle's funeral route toward the then-eastern capital.
