On March 15, 1878, Antonio Maceo, together with other independence leaders, carried out the historic Protest of Baraguá.

Years later when making reference of the meaning of this event José Martí in a letter addressed to Antonio Maceo dated on March 25, 1893, he pointed out: ¨Precisely I have before my eyes the protest of Baraguá which is the most glorious of our history¨.

Also the maximum leader of the Cuban Revolution, Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, dealt with the life of Antonio Maceo and his work and in a very specific way he qualified the Protest of Baraguá carried out by the brave independence fighter.

On the occasion of the centenary of the protest pf Baraguá on March 15, 1978, Fidel said: ¨What can be stated is that with Baraguá protest Maceo reached his highest point, his summit, the patriotic and revolutionary spirit of our people and that the flags of our homeland, of the true revolution, with independence and social justice were placed in their highest place.

Fidel also recalled particularly difficult moments during the revolutionary struggle in the second half of the twentieth century when the new generations of Cuban revolutionaries were inspired by the spirit of Baraguá.

In Mangos de Baraguá, located in the province of Santiago de Cuba, Maceo had an interview with the Spanish general Arsenio Martínez Campos on March 15, 1878.

The later intended to convince Maceo to abide by and support the so-called Sanjon Pact signed a little more than a month by a group pf Cubans participating in the Ten Years War. Maceo made it clear that we did not accept the cessation of the war unless it meant the independence of Cuba and the abolition of the slavery. After the departure of the Spanish general, the Cuban patriots met and signed what historically has been identified as the Constitution of Baraguá which contained six articles and organizational norms were established.

In spite of the dignified and combative attitude of Maceo and his compatriots, the independence struggle could not be maintained at that time due to the difficult conditions in which it unfolded, given the lack of resources and support and the superiority of the enemy. For that reason, the provisional Cuban government decided that Maceo should leave the island so that from abroad he could continue to make his valuable contribution to the cause of the Cuban independence in another more propitious moment.

Although almost all of Antonio Maceo´s actions and work did not take place in the territory of Havana, his life and his transcendence as a patriot are directly associated with the capital of all Cubans.

Precisely his remains, together with those of his assistant Francisco Gómez Toro rest in a monument complex located in the Boyeros municipality.

In this place, declared a national monument, besides paying tribute to the anniversaries of his birth and death, important patriotic acts of great transcendence have been carried out.

Also in Havana, in the municipality of Centro Havana, there is another relevant monument in the park identified with its first surname in which also pays homage to him and is a frequent venue for various activities.