With Cuba as the guest country, the Third Meeting of Ibero-American Poets paid tribute to emblematic figures of poetry at the Villa Manuela Gallery of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC), highlighting the work of José Martí (1853-1895)—a precursor to Hispanic American Modernism—and the renowned Cuban poet Lina de Feria.
The meeting, coordinated by Mexican poet Carmen Nozal, brought together prominent spoken word artists from both nations, including María Vásquez Valdés, also from Aztec lands, as well as Cubans Luis Manuel Pérez Boitel, Nelson Simón González, Leymen Pérez, Arístides Vega, and Fidel Antonio Orta.
Also attending the event were the Minister of Culture of Mexico, Alpidio Alonso Grau; Magda Resik, First Vice President of UNEAC; and Vice President Lesbia Vent Dumois, 2019 National Prize Winner for Visual Arts, along with other prominent figures in the artistic world.
During the main event, UNEAC hosted the presentation of the Fray Luis de León Medal for Ibero-American Poetry, a distinction sponsored by the City Council of Salamanca, Spain, which this year recognized Cuban poet Waldo Leyva, recent National Prize Winner for Literature, for his outstanding career and significant contributions to regional literary creation.
In her remarks on the work of José Martí, Vásquez Valdés emphasized that his legacy transcended Cuban borders to represent, through his prose and lyricism, the struggles and pains of Latin America.
Martí stands out as a comprehensive writer whose poetry is unique; he deserves to be recognized and honored for his constant defense of regional unity and for using poetry as a powerful tool of communication, emphasized the author of the poetry collections “Caldero” (1999) and “Estancias” (2004).
Luis Manuel Pérez Boitel, winner of the 2002 Casa de las Américas Poetry Prize, reflected on the permanence of Lina de Feria—the 2019 National Literature Prize winner—among the most influential voices in Cuban literature.
When asked to define the relevance of her work, he highlighted the poetic craft as a fundamental pillar; He is an essential figure whose work transcends time and space, inviting a critical reading that intertwines idealism and reality.
His legacy inspires reflection on the complexity of the human experience and the role of art in the search for meaning, affirmed the winner of the 2020 Nicolás Guillén Poetry Prize.
Throughout the Third Meeting of Ibero-American Poets, the integrative nature of this space for international dialogue was evident. It was designed to strengthen ties between creators and foster the promotion of poetry among exponents of those nations, thus enriching the cultural landscape of the region.
[ SOURCE: PRENSA LATINA / AGENCIA CUBANA DE NOTICIAS ]
