On August 3, 1895, Antonio Maceo founded El Cubano Libre, the continuation of the first pro-independence newspaper created by Carlos Manuel de Céspedes during the Ten Years’ War, as the main exponent of the revolutionary press during the period of the independence struggles.
The Apostle of the Cuban Independence, José Martí, faithful collaborator of the publication, appointed Mariano Corona Ferrer as the head of the newspaper, due to his political capacity; during this stage, nearly 100 editions were published, including supplements, and its editors were José María Heredia, Federico Pérez Carbó, José Miró Argenter and Dr. Joaquín Castillo Duany.
Aware of its importance as an ideological instrument in the liberation struggle, on one occasion, Maceo characterized El Cubano Libre as an artillery piece; on another occasion he catalogued it as an army corps composed of 12 columns, equivalent for him to a reinforcement of 500 men, which fought daily for the cause of Cuba.
Therefore, in a letter to Mariano Corona Ferrer, director of the newspaper, he assured: «Good, very good; keep it up. The Cubano Libre is an army corps composed of twelve columns, which fights, fights well, daily, for the cause of Cuba; and the Spaniards would give something to give it a charge. Keep a close eye… And tighten up».
In Sao Corona Cave (in the jurisdiction of Holguin), and then in Cuabitas (to the north of Santiago de Cuba), the pro-independence organ was published indistinctly until the end of the war; after 1898 Mariano continued the publication of El Cubano Libre, which became a spearhead against the errors and excesses of the intervening government, and finally, in 1914, with the death of its director, the newspaper extinguished its voice again.
