Juan Gualberto Gómez, the son of freed slaves, was one of the patriots most committed to the principles of independence, a fact recognized by José Martí when he appointed him representative of the Cuban Revolutionary Party on the island and chose him to lead the preparations for the Necessary War of 1895.
While almost always mentioned for this role entrusted to him by Martí, the greatness of his life and work lies in his ability to perform successfully and outstandingly in various areas of the public and political sphere, both within and outside of Cuba, throughout his 78 years of life, until his death on March 5, 1933.
He was born free on July 12, 1854, in Ingenio Vellocino, Sabanilla del Encomendador (now Juan Gualberto Gómez), Matanzas, as his parents, domestic slaves at the time, saved money to buy him from his owner while he was still in his mother's womb.
Once his parents had saved enough to buy their freedom, they decided to move to Havana to provide their only son with a better education. This move was facilitated by the owner of the sugar mill, who felt a special affection for the boy, and by the marriage of former slaves.
In the capital, his parents enrolled him in the best schools available to Black children at the time. He had already reached the limit of knowledge attainable for his race when the Ten Years' War broke out in 1868.
His natural intelligence and unwavering commitment to the Cuban independence cause marked his entire life. He held important positions and was a distinguished journalist, whose name is honored by the Union of Journalists of Cuba, which pays permanent tribute to his memory.
Fearful of the consequences the war might bring to the son they had raised with such care, his parents decided to send him to Europe to study, following the advice of his former nanny, who promised that if they sent him to France, she would take them with her on vacation so they could visit their son. In 1869, he departed for Paris.
There, at night, he began to absorb the most advanced knowledge and the revolutionary spirit that pervaded that city, where all men were treated equally regardless of skin color.
At the end of 1878, Juan Gualberto returned to Havana, where he met José Martí. They immediately developed a friendship based on shared ideals that would unite their revolutionary actions. He founded the newspaper La Fraternidad, conspired in the preparations for the Little War (Guerra Chiquita), was arrested on September 25, 1879, and imprisoned in the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta, on the African shore of the Strait of Gibraltar, until 1882.
He returned to Cuba in 1890 and, after the founding of the Cuban Revolutionary Party on April 10, 1892. Martí entrusted him with the preparations for the Necessary War throughout the island. In 1895, he was exiled again after the failed independence uprising of February 24 in Havana and sentenced to 20 years in prison in the dungeons of Ceuta and Valencia.
In 1898, he was released and returned to his homeland permanently. From then on, he actively participated in the opposition to the Platt Amendment and the successive governments until his death. He was elected delegate to the Assembly of Representatives of the Cuban Revolution, which began its sessions on October 24, 1898, where he served as a member until June 1899.
In December 1898, he accompanied Major General Calixto García to Washington, D.C., as a member of the commission sent to secure recognition for the Assembly and the necessary funds for the honorable discharge of the Liberation Army.
After Cuba was declared a Republic on May 20, 1901, under the pseudonym "G," he harshly criticized its first President, Tomás Estrada Palma, and the Platt Amendment, which effectively made Cuba a colony of the United States. Consistent with Martí's legacy, he denounced embezzlement and the pro-annexation stances of officials.
During the second U.S. military intervention (1906-1909), he was a member of the Advisory Commission, serving as a representative. He held seats in the House of Representatives (1914-1917) and the Senate (1917-1925), representing the province of Havana. He was an editor for several newspapers, a prominent orator, and campaigned extensively for the equality of Black people until his death on March 5, 1933.