They call her the Mother of the Maceos, the Mother of the Cubans, the Mother of the Homeland and Martí called her Mariana Maceo, surname of brave, courageous men, inscribed forever in history; but Mariana Grajales Cuello shines with her own light.
When she came into the world, the date of the abolition of slavery in Cuba was far away, but this woman, an everlasting symbol of Santiago de Cuba, was born free because her parents were also free.
Mariana Grajales Cuello not only engendered heroes, she also contributed to the Independence of the nation; distinctive of unlimited dedication to the redemptive cause against the Spanish metropolis. Her nobility and conviction to educate her 14 children to serve their country, even at the cost of their lives, is the legacy that distinguishes this peerless warrior.
Tender and kind, of inflexible principles in discipline and with a natural intelligence, lively and agile, is this woman that Santiago de Cuba is proud to see born, a soul all courage, tanned in the spirit of work, without weaknesses in her 10 years of insurrection, without fear of the wildness of the manigua.
Mariana Grajales Cuello, the children of Santiago and her Cuba remember her as a perpetual symbol that transcends for her clear lights, her intrepid character, for her loyalty that translates into firmness and patriotism.
The historical dimension of Mariana is present in the firm, stoic character and strength of spirit instilled in Antonio Maceo, who learned from his mother the love for the homeland, freedom and justice. His
her example lives on in the beautiful pages written by Cuban women of all times.
Where can you find a more complete symbol of Cuban identity?
Two thousand and nine years after her birth, Mariana Grajales Cuello is and will be the star of a people grateful for her imprint conquered by dint of heroism.
