- by Graham Holton
- The Guardian
- Issue #2192
José Martí Memorial, Havana, Cuba. Photo: Sam Kelly – flickr.com (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
The Cuban government sees independence from Spain on 20 May 1902 as an important historical milestone, introducing Cuba’s ‘neo-colonial republic’ period (1902–1959), a pathway to genuine independence in 1959. It marks the transition from Spanish colonialism to US domination – an unfinished stage of national liberation.
The struggle for independence from Spain was championed by José Martí, who returned from exile to lead the fight against Spanish oppression and advocate for freedom and justice.
Not well known outside Latin America, Martí occupies a place in Cuban history comparable to Sun-Yat Sen in China. Jose Martí was a nationalist poet and philosopher, a prolific writer whose material is still widely read. He died at the age of 42, fighting for Cuban independence. Statues of Martí can be seen all over the island.
Martí is the ideological father of the Revolution, with the 1959 revolution being the completion of Martí’s unfinished anti-imperialist fight. In one continuous historical struggle Martí links the independence wars to the Castro Revolution.
Fidel Castro argued that the US intervention in 1898 prevented Cuban revolutionaries from fully liberating the island. It was replaced with limited national sovereignty, strong economic dependence on the United States, political corruption, and elite domination.
The United States became involved in the independence conflict in February 1898 after the explosion of the USS Maine in Havana Harbour. US media falsely blamed the explosion on Cuban sabotage, triggering the Spanish-American War. Spain and the United States signed a peace treaty ending the War on 10 December 1898. The Treaty ceded Puerto Rico and Guam to the United States, and allowed the US to purchase the Philippines from Spain for US$20 million.
After US military rule, Cuba gained formal ‘independence’ in 1902, but the Platt Amendment of 1901 defined US-Cuban relations, limiting Cuba’s sovereignty, and allowing US intervention in Cuban affairs. The Amendment forbade the government of Cuba from going into an international agreement to permit foreign powers, other than the US, to use the island for military purposes. The Amendment required Cuba to lease Guantánamo Bay for perpetuity to the United States for a coaling station and naval base. True independence was only achieved with the Cuban Revolution in 1959.
Another important date is 26 July, the anniversary of the 1953 attack on the Moncada Barracks. This commemorates the beginning of the revolutionary movement led by Fidel Castro against the government of President Fulgencio Batista. Also important is the 1 January, which marks the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in 1959. The 1868 independence war is remembered on 10 October, and 28 January is the birthday of José Martí.
