The legacy of Roberto Fernández Retamar
“Culture is in mourning,” we at CLACSO declared when, on July 20, 2019, we learned of the death of Roberto Fernández Retamar, a great Cuban poet, essayist, and intellectual, who knew how to radiate his verses and thought from the Caribbean island where he was born to all of Latin America and the world.
Roberto Fernández Retamar, President of Casa de las Américas until his passing, would have turned ninety this June 9th. A fitting occasion to pay him, once again, the well-deserved tribute and to highlight the importance of his legacy. CLACSO has always considered him a guiding light and dedicated an important day to his memory and teachings: October 22nd of last year, during our presence in Havana, where we were convened to conclude the official events commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution and to hold the one hundredth meeting of the Steering Committee of our Council.
It was a privilege for CLACSO to have published, in December 2016, an anthology by Roberto Fernández Retamar entitled “Anticolonial thought of our America”, available in open access.
Likewise, we have supported and disseminated, just a few weeks ago, the special issue produced by the Center for Advanced Studies (Argentina) and Casa de las Américas (Cuba) paying tribute to someone who, with his commitment and skill, helped us to think about our region and the world.
We are pleased to join in the many commemorative activities organized by “Casa de las Américas” starting on June 9, such as naming its Library after him and creating a specialized section on its website www.casadelasamericas.org where previously unpublished works about him will be featured and the bibliographic and photographic exhibition “Roberto at the House” will be accessible.
The presence of Roberto Fernández Retamar remains alive, as do his teachings that commit us, the social scientists, humanists and intellectuals of the world, to continue fighting for that which guided his entire existence: to build the integration of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Karina Batthyány
Executive Secretary of CLACSO
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