Ambassador of Cuba Fermín Quiñones during his speech.
Embassy of Cuba to the Netherlands Pays Tribute to José Martí.
The Embassy of Cuba in the Netherlands and the Hispanic Society of The Hague organised a cultural evening in Koningkerk, The Hague in order to celebrate the 163th anniversary of the birth of Cuba’s National Hero José Martí.
The event was attended by a large number of Ambassadors of Latin America accredited in the Netherlands, officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, officials and workers of the Cuban mission, and members of the Cuba-Netherlands Foundation that groups Cuban citizens living in the Netherlands, as well as a large group of members of the Asociación Hispánica de La Haya.
The evening was dedicated to the 125th anniversary of the Simple Verses, the essay “Our America,” the speeches “With all and for the good of all” and “The New Pines,” and the 145th anniversary of “The Political Prison in Cuba,” all written by Marti.
For additional pictures on the Tribute to José Marti, please click here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157662646356774
The Chair of the Hispanic Society of The Hague, Mrs. Edith Bergansius spoke heartfelt words about the Simple Verses, a poetry book published in 1891 and how the verses contained in this book has been part of the legacy of the Cuban culture and are known in every corner of the world. Nearly everybody knows the song ‘Guantanamera’ but many fail to acknowledge the autor of ‘yo soy un hombre sincero de donde crece la palma’.
The Ambassador of Cuba to the Netherlands His Excellency Fermín Quiñones, in evoking the figure of the National Hero of Cuba, said “Marti was the mastermind of the definite struggle; he was the one that saw the importance of unity to attain victory.” Mr. Quiñones also underlined the patriotic, pro-independence and Latin America-focused character of Marti’s work.
He also spoke about one of the regional organizations inspired in the thoughts of Marti and other independent fighters of Latin America, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), whose fifth Summit was taking place in Quito, Ecuador.
Three generations of Cubans living in the Netherlands paid tribute to Jose Marti: Huber Walter recited the poems “The girl from Guatemala” and ´´I am an honest man,´´ young Manuel Freyre performed a musicalized version of the poem “My gentleman” and young violinist Mariana Huchinson made the delight of attendees with her rendition of “The Beautiful Cuban”.
Latin American Ambassadors attending the event:
- Ambassador of Cuba Fermín Quiñones
- Ambassador of Guatemala Gabriel Aguilera Peralta
- Ambassador of Bolivia Eduardo Rodríguez Veltzé and spouse
- Ambassador of México Eduardo Ibarrola. and spouse
- Ambassador of Chile Sra. María Teresa Infante
- Ambassador of Costa Rica Sergio Gerardo Ugalde Godínez
Information:
(CubaMINREX / Embacuba Países Bajos)
