JOSE MARTI

If you have read even a little bit about Cuba you have probably heard the name Jose Marti. If you travel there you'll see  his statue or bronze bust or picture everywhere. I will tell  you what I know about him and if I am wrong or if you can add to the information, please do.

Jose was a folk  hero, poet, ladies man, and crusader for an independent Cuba. Since Jose had been exiled from Cuba for his subversive ideas, he had time to travel around  breaking  hearts, writing poems and raising money to buy arms for the invasion of Cuba. This all was going on back in about 1895. Since Spain still ruled Cuba, the war for independence was to be called the Cuban Spanish War. I saw a cute political cartoon with two ladies, one saying to the other, 'for every gun that you get for him he'll give you one kiss and 4 poems.'

Now the US was mildly interested in Jose's activities because of Cuba's sugar and because of the strategic location of the island. in 1895 Jose finally rented a boat in Key West and initiated the struggle. First one shot dead on May 19 was Jose. After that the US said 'oh well let's finish this off' and renamed the skirmish the Spanish American War. Of course it helped to drum up enthusiasm back home when a ship called the Maine blew  up in Havana Harbor. It probably was an accident but, with the help of Mr.William Randolph Hearst, newspaper man, the accident was blamed on Spain and the fight was on, but not for long. Spain lost, the US won and Cuba was , ah wait a minute wasn't it supposed to be free? Well sorta. Anyway that's the short version of the story of Jose Marti.