El Manifiesto de Montecristi en la guerra de pensamiento

Ibrahim Hidalgo Science Doctor in History. Researcher of the Center of Jose Marti’s Studies

On March 25, 1895, just after the beginning of the Independence War (February 24), Jose Marti and Maximo Gomez signed the document: The Cuban Revolutionary Party which will turn in history as the Montecristo Manifest, because it was written in Montecristo, Dominican Republic.

The text has the synthesis of the principles that motivated the beginning of the armed struggle against the Spanish colonialism, the causes that made it inevitable and the Cuban people’s capacity for the victory, so there could be founded a democratic republic, as well as the universal importance of the Cuban independence. It was very important to publish the doctrines of the revolution to face the enemies’ campaigns that since the first skirmishes, they tried to confuse the great masses of the population living in Cuba. That is why Marti said: “With thoughts is the greatest war to do; let’s win it with thoughts”.

The revolutionary forces this time had the experience from the War of Ten Years. They will all join this time after assessing the deep caused that justified the new clash.

The abolition of slavery in 1886 was not anymore the main cause, but there were still others that could not be postponed in search for the complete independence. The Manifest ratified the anti-colonialist aims and with wisdom, they it destroyed the argument of the national clash, because it expressed the war was not against the Spanish but against foreign interference, “the vice, the crime and inhumanity”. It attracted more those honorable people showing them the common benefits after a brief war and later include the country in the modern civilization free of ties and the monopoly trades imposed since a long time ago by the metropolis with a people ready for a creative work.

There was a call for good sense above hate, to avoid mistakes and build an open and honest nation. No one will be neither excluded during the struggle nor in the future republic, and it was necessary to dispel all intents of division based on prejudices and lies.

Those were things created for the fear to the revolution, urged by those benefited by the Spaniards. Either black, white or mixed race people joined the revolution in Cuba and abroad.

This document also explained that as the Cuban people had enough conditions to win the independence and avoid the mistakes, they will be able to govern the country by themselves and defend the national identity.

To guarantee this purpose, and avoid the mistakes that lead other countries to tyranny and leadership, the revolutionary forces had the asserted goal that a government in the middle of the war that will help the leadership of the civil affairs of the freed territories, will assume the representation abroad and will help ease the operational freedom of the army, guarantee the performance of the war within the respect to the norms of the citizens’ rights, which are necessary of the consolidation of the Cuban nation since the war period, by means of the unity of all the elements with neither imposing the combatants the civil power- this was one of the causes for the Ten Years War’s failure- nor the development of a cast military force that will cause intern conflicts and to the instability in the war and later at the end of it.

The document does not promise but urges to support the only way that will guarantee the welfare of Cuba. The war would not be characterized by localism, it had American and universal purposes. Combatants will fight for the foundation of a republic where the popular elements would have a great democratic participation and enjoy social justice. It was also implicit the possible clash against the Americans, the only force interested in the control of the continent.

This document that emerged in 1895 as an ideological weapon in the battle against the Spanish colonialism in front of the threats of the newly-formed American imperialism. It is today a motivation for the analysis of the value granted by the Maestro (Jose Marti) to the national goals and the universal range of the Cuban efforts in front of the successive governments of the United States, whose oligarchy persists in its purpose of continental control, above all, against the Cuban people, who has followed the route paved by those with intransigence and good sense, to keep sovereignty, independence and freedom.