José Martí and the replanting of hope

By: Pedro Corzo - 01/02/2026

Guest columnist.
Share:     

On this 173rd anniversary of Jose Marti's birth, a greater confidence in the future is evident among Cubans, coinciding with the profound and vast crisis facing the Castro totalitarian system, so serious, in the opinion of many, that they do not rule out the end of that tyranny, even though totalitarianism has been founded on hopelessness and the permanence of the system.

It is appropriate to acknowledge that repression under totalitarianism has a comprehensive and multifaceted form that has poisoned the majority of the population with terror. The restrictive regulations of an absolute system transcend policing, as they are present in the world of work, education, and society, including the family. No activity is beyond the control of the state once a totalitarian system is established.

This all-encompassing approach greatly limits the formation of a nationally organized opposition with social and advocacy proposals that promote political and social projects, a factor that prevents the opposition from promoting protests and demands that would make it a viable option for change.

The control is so pervasive that the vast majority of the population feels helpless before the state authorities. This sense of helplessness and hopelessness is widespread throughout society, a consequence of the supremacy of the state, government, and party in even the smallest details of daily life.

Fortunately for Cubans, our history includes the doctrines and examples left to us by José Martí, a fundamental part of our national thought. The patriotic vocation of the "Teacher," his confidence in the future, and his constant efforts in favor of his utopia—a republic "with all and for the good of all"—serve as a reference point for any citizen with civic awareness, as did his convictions regarding individual liberty and popular sovereignty.

Martí always spoke with great clarity about the inalienable rights of man, emphasizing that "Freedom is the right every man has to be honest, to think and to speak without hypocrisy." Meanwhile, Castroism has perpetually sustained itself through opportunism, lies, and deceit. This totalitarian system is rooted in a double standard, in which the vassal conceals his opinions and acts based on what benefits his survival—a pervasive hypocrisy that has become the most corrosive agent against despotism.

The differences between Martí's political proposals and those of the tyrant Fidel Castro are abysmal. The Maestro always spread hope and was very explicit when he wrote, “Homeland is humanity, it is that portion of humanity that we see most closely and into which we were born; and it must not be allowed that, with the deception of the holy name, useless monarchies, bloated religions, or shameless and starving politics be defended,” a description of Castroism that is very difficult to match.

In contrast, the Castro brothers persistently identified the Fatherland with Death, as if it were part of their heritage, an inheritance in which they make no distinction between flocks and people, thus eliminating all hope for the citizens who, transformed into servants, await a better life.

The Cuban apostle, with an undeniable vision of the future, warned in "Future Slavery," 1884, about the danger of concentrating power in the state, pointing out that "From being a servant of himself, man would become a servant of the State," highlighting in turn the emergence of a new class he called "officials," bureaucrats, a distressing reality that Cubans have suffered for more than six decades.

Hopes have grown and strengthened due to factors within the people themselves and thanks to President Donald Trump's decision to imprison Nicolas Maduro, plus his warnings to the dictators of Cuba and Nicaragua that their depredations have come to an end, which, added to the exhaustion of despotism in both countries, has motivated the rebirth of hope for changes that will lead to democracy or at least to the overthrow of the oppressors.

It is easy to see that Miguel Diaz Canel and his henchmen, as well as the Ortega-Murillo duo and the hordes of criminals that accompany them, feel insecure, they fear for their future because the impunity they have enjoyed for years is coming to an end.

«The opinions published herein are the sole responsibility of its author».