A Soldier of Independence Was Born Along With the Daily Patria

A Soldier of Independence Was Born Along With the Daily Patria

By Lucilo Tejera Díaz
March 14 – ACN

When Jose Marti founded the daily Patria in New York on March 14th, 1892, he was taking the last steps in the creation of the Cuban Revolutionary Party, in charge of moving forward, with unity, organization and thrust, the necessary war aimed at the independence of Cuba and Puerto Rico.

“The daily was born, with the will and resources of the Cuban and Puerto Rican people in New York to contribute to the organization of the free men of Cuba and Puerto Rico”, Marti wrote in the editorial of the presentation.

The initial print that circled hand in hand and throughout distant places to Cuba and other Latin American nations promoted the bases of the Cuban Revolutionary Party which was officially founded on April 10th of 1892, the day of the 23rd anniversary of the proclamation of Guaimaro which led to the first Constitution of the Republic in Arms.

It was time for war and that is how the Cuban National Hero presented the idea in one of his articles: “The daily is born, time for danger, to protect freedom, to contribute for its forces to unite and prevent for the enemy to overcome our disorder”.

In another part Marti affirmed: “The enemy will only hear its own voice of attack. That is Patria in the press. It is a soldier”.

In its main print he explained who wrote in the newspaper: “…the glorious teachers of yesterday and the strong youth of today, the workshop, business executives and historians, those who foresee the dangers of the republic and that who produces the weapons that we have conquered.”

The Cuban National Hero knew that in order to maintain “Patria” he needed financing and with the modest earnings of its sales gave way to the classified section which included tobacco manufacturing; also artists, professors, doctors, engineers, lawyers, notary, business executives, dentists, colleges and restaurants belonging to Cubans and Puerto Ricans in the US.

Patria was Marti’s dream and he had never stopped thinking of the publication and guided his collaborators on issues and how to manage it at a certain time.

The daily’s last number was issued on December 31st, 1898. In honor to “Day of the Press” commemorated each March 14th, Cuba pays homage to Patria, the daily of the Revolution aimed at maintaining Marti’s ideas.