Mariana Grajales Cuello is best known for the role she played in Cuba’s struggle for an independent Cuba free from slavery. Often referred to as the “Mother of Cuba,” Cuello’s promotion of national pride and patriotic sacrifice helped rally her people in a military campaign that would ultimately end Spanish rule in her country. She is also a Cuban icon for women’s struggle. She was born on July 12, 1815 in the city of Santiago de Cuba, the second largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. She was a mixed race, Spanish and African, daughter of Dominican parents. She was raised in the eastern region of Cuba known for its racial fluidity and concentration of middle-class Afro-Cubans. Since her parents were landowner, Cuello grew up in an environment that allowed her to become well educated. Growing up, she was exposed to the notions of liberalism and religion. Cuello marred Marcos Maceo in 1851. She had nice children, including four she had from a previous marriage. Cuello and her husband trained their children in the arts of self-defense. Two of her children would later become general’s in Cuba’s Liberation Army. Cuban rebels arrived at Cuello’s home two days after the start of the war of independence against the Spanish in 1868. They asked for support in the fight against the Spanish and Cuello and her husband agreed. Cuello would establish and run a hospital for wounded soldiers, occasionally attending to some of her own children who were fighting with the rebel forces. Cuello frequently entered the battlefield to aid wounded soldiers, both Spaniard and Cuban. She would often follow closely behind rebel troops, providing not only material but also emotional support. Stories of her commitment toward the effort against the Spanish despite the loss of her husband and some of her sons in battle made her a well-known figure during the independence campaign. Cuello was seen as a model for other Cuban women as she risked everything for the sake of the country. Having death warrants issued on her serving sons and having lost all her property, Cuello went into exile in Jamaica in 1878, continuing her work toward Cuban independence by forming patriotic associations among exiled Cubans. Cuello would never return to Cuba. Mariana Grajales Cuello died in Kingston, Jamaica on November 23, 1893, at the age of 78. In 1957, Cuello was given the title “Mother of Cuba” by Havana mayor Justo Luis Pozo del Puerto, in acknowledgement and appreciation for her patriotism and work toward liberating her country. The Mariana Grajales Airport and Antonio Maceo Airport were dedicated to the memory of Mariana and her sons' contributions to the Cuban struggle.

click here