The José Martí Documentary Heritage nominated by Cuba and inscribed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register in 2005, preserves the writings and correspondence of José Martí (1853–1895), one of Latin America’s most influential thinkers, writers, and political visionaries.

Martí’s work stands as a cornerstone of Latin American identity and universal humanism. His writings bridge literature, philosophy, and political action, shaping the intellectual and ethical foundations of the region’s struggles for independence, cultural self-determination, and social justice. He exposed the geopolitical dynamics of his time, particularly the rise of U.S. imperial influence in the Americas, and envisioned solidarity among the peoples of Latin America, Africa, and Asia, those later described as the “Third World.”

As a writer, Martí transformed the Spanish language and anticipated modernist movements in world literature. His prose and poetry, characterized by innovative syntax, symbolic depth, and stylistic freedom, placed him among the great modern literary figures, comparable to Baudelaire, Whitman, or Rimbaud. His essays, journalism, and creative works not only renewed literary expression but also embodied a vision of liberation grounded in ethics, equality, and cultural diversity.