The Tribune

UNVEILING the Jose Marti commemorative monument in Mathew Town, Inagua on February 23, Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes noted its importance as a symbol of the Bahamas’ contribution to human culture.

He said the monument establishes the country’s anthropological roots in the region and signals a connection to the international community.

“Monuments are meant to be things of beauty and inspiration as well as instruments of tribute and remembrance. It is my hope that this one will accomplish a number of things. It is obviously a thing of beauty and I hope it will fulfil its other purposes as well,” said Sir Arthur.

He also said he hopes the monument will spark renewed interest in the fascinating historical legacy of Inagua and the southern islands of the Bahamas.

This legacy, Sir Arthur said, is replete with stories of adventure, travel to far places, and alternating periods of great prosperity and heart-rending hardship.

“It is the story of cosmopolitan Matthew Town, a regular port of call for the great ships from Europe; a magnet for immigrants attracted by the salt industry; a recruitment centre for stevedores and workers for the ports of Cuba and Haiti, the plantations of Central America and the Panama Canal.

“It is a story of trade and social and cultural intercourse with our nearest neighbours: Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and, of course, the Turks and Caicos Islands, which were once a part of The Bahamas. It is also, in later years, a story of social unrest and upheaval which, on one occasion, caused the industrial and official establishment of Inagua to abandon Mathew Town and seek refuge in Cuba,” he said.

Sir Arthur said that he hopes the monument will serve as a reminder of the part Inagua played in historic events of the Caribbean, and in particular the struggle for the liberation of Cuba.

“But most of all, I hope it will draw to the attention of this and future generations the life and times of Jose Marti; his magnificent poetry; his enlightened philosophy; his noble aspirations for Cuba, the Caribbean and the Americas; his vision of a hemisphere free of slavery and imperialist domination; his commitment to the sharing of our global commons by all the people of the earth; his passionate belief in the concept of human equality; his disdain for the brutal institution of slavery, racism, and all other divisive prejudices which denied the oneness of all humanity,” said the Governor General.