The newspaper Patria in Marti's thought and action

On March 14, 1892, at the age of 39, Jose Marti published in New York the first issue of the newspaper Patria, giving drive to the preparatory tasks of the Necessary War -quick and efficient- which he considered the only way to achieve the freedom of Cuba.

He used the word again to name it, this time without an adjective, as he did with the first and only issue of Patria Libre, founded by him at the age of 16, which showed the primary place that the independence of his homeland had always occupied in his heart and in his work.

His purpose was to unite Cubans in exile for the sake of the cause and to unite, above all to unite all compatriots and to obtain the necessary resources for such an undertaking.

The magnitude of the objective, sacred to him, led him to the appearance of "Patria", as well as the Cuban Revolutionary Party on April 10 of that same year.

By then, El Maestro was already a renowned poet and chronicler who collaborated with important Latin American newspapers, as their correspondent in New York, and had been Consul of Uruguay in the northern country.

Feeling all the time the love for Cuba, it was natural that he put his political and ideological wealth, even his humanist heritage, in the forging first of the newspaper Patria, which had to fulfill certain missions and more of the Cuban Revolutionary Party, unique and alone.

The creator of "Patria" never claimed that it was the official publication of the Party of the Revolution.

It is evident that such a statement was never necessary because those who examine its trajectory saw that in practice it would be the means or vehicle used in the ideological, unifying and convening work in favor of freedom not only in Cuba, but also in Puerto Rico.

Some experts in the field believe that Marti's newspaper is the best exponent of the creativity of its founder within that guild. Never were patriotism, feelings or the bonds of being a close friend stronger than his objectivity, political stature, depth and analysis.

The texts corresponded to the ideals of independence, truth, justice and equality, values in which he believed and to the awareness that "Patria" should do much by speaking directly to Cubans inside and outside, urging them to fight, to unite and contribute to the Magna Causa.

In "Patria" is present the mature and progressively evolved Martí, as he promised from his early years.

In addition to founding it, he was the director of that political publication that came out every Saturday, circulated among the revolutionaries in exile and was sent to the island clandestinely.

He fulfilled that duty until death. And although writing was not his main mission but the general preparation for the war, he found time to appear in the newspaper.

When "Patria" was born, he no longer collaborated of his own free will with the media of other countries, but he understood that both the publication and the Party were essential, and would help to expand the power of convocation of the Revolution.

With Marti's creation, a journalism was created that put into practice an unusual link with ideology, which was detested by the media of the time, invaded since its birth by mercantilism dictating the lines of text.

But it was not pamphleteering either, because it spoke with truth and reason and appealed to feelings at the right moment.

Its format corresponded to what is known today as a tabloid. It consisted of four pages in four columns, with an unusual size nowadays (52 x 36 cm). It was distributed mainly by mail.

In its first issue, it published the Bases of the Cuban Revolutionary Party and an article of his: Our ideas, in which he stated that Patria was born to gather and love, and to live in the passion of truth.

Only death separated him from "Patria". When he was finally able to leave to fulfill his libertarian dream, he did not part with the newspaper, on the contrary. His collaborators assured that from the Cuban camp he felt he was their War Correspondent and continued, by means of letters, to give instructions for its better realization.