By Alejandra Garcia on July 28, 2026
Jose Marti, Plaza of the Revolution, foto: Bill Hackwell
The Venezuelan capital still bears the scars of the January 3rd bombing, when a U.S. military attack left more than a hundred people dead, including 32 Cubans. Yet the people have covered the wounds, and nearly a month after such upheaval, the city is beginning to recover its rhythm and vitality. Amid the whirl of Caracas’s historic center—between the bustle of daily life and the constant coming and going along the narrow streets near Plaza Bolivar, one familiar name resonates: José Martí.
On Panteon boulevard, right next to the House of the First Letters of Simón Rodríguez*, a cultural space caught my attention because there was a plaque recalling that in 1881 Jose Marti taught classes in what was then the Colegio Santa Maria. At the time, it was not only a prestigious educational institution but also a hotbed of ideas, equality and culture, a place that had welcomed figures such as Simon Bolivar in his youth and, later, Martí in his role as an educator.
The history of this school is, in itself, a reflection of the bond that has united Cuba and Venezuela for centuries that has been enhanced now in this time of hyper imperialist agression. Founded in 1859 by the Venezuelan Agustin Aveledo, the Colegio Santa Maria was a beacon of knowledge in Caracas, offering a view of the world through the lenses of science, literature, and politics. In its classrooms, Venezuelan intellectuals such as Manuel Maria and Aristides Rojas, along with Jose Marti himself, educated generations of students with a broader, more humanistic conception of learning.
“Here at the Santa Maria School, the hero of Cuba, Jose Marti taught classes during his stay in Caracas in 1881”. foto: Alejandra Garcia
Marti, who stayed in Caracas for six months between January and July 1881, taught courses in oratory and French literature. His time in the city was not merely an academic episode; it was also an immersion in Venezuela’s culture and reality, a country he understood as part of a shared Latin American project of independence and dignity in the face of imperial powers.
During his stay, beyond teaching, Marti spoke in open classrooms about the future of Latin America, about the unity of Latin American peoples against external threats, and about the importance of education as a fundamental tool for building a new society.
For him, a teacher should not be an authoritarian transmitter of knowledge, but a guide who inspires and accompanies students in their process of discovery. “Education is an act of constant creation,” Marti said. Through words, one could not only convey knowledge but also forge a national and Latin American identity.
In 2000, the governments of Venezuela and Cuba jointly decided to restore this historic space, naming it Casa de Nuestra America “Jose Marti”, a place that commemorates both the history of education in Caracas and the fraternal relationship between the two countries. This cultural center has become a meeting point for dialogue and reflection on Latin American identity, the shared history of our peoples, and the legacy of figures such as Marti.
an instructor in the Yo si puedo program. foto: Bill Hackwell
The educational relationship between Cuba and Venezuela has always been an act of brotherhood, consolidated throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. In times of hardship and imperial threats, cooperation in education became one of the main instruments of cultural resistance. The work of Cuban educators in Venezuela, from the early years of the Republic to more recent literacy programs such as the “Yo si puedo” (Yes I Can) mission, has been fundamental to literacy and the education of generations of Venezuelans. This effort, which began with figures like Marti, has continued into contemporary times as an expression of solidarity and Latin American unity.
On this 173rd anniversary of José Marti’s birth, his legacy remains alive in the bonds of cooperation between Cuba and Venezuela. Amid the challenges both countries face, and under constant threats imposed by the “monster” of the North, as described by Marti, education continues to be the ground where the seeds of resistance, identity, and hope are sown.
In the heart of Caracas, where Martí left his imprint, the spirit of a man who understood education as an act of love, creation, and struggle for freedom endures.
*Early liberation educator who influenced Simon Bolivar and the movement for independence.
Alejandra Garcia is a Latin American correspondent for Resumen Latinoamericano and an evening anchor for Telesur evening news in English.
Source: Resumen Latinoamericano – US