Original article

Methodological recommendations for the treatment of Fernando Martínez Heredia's work in the History of Cuba

0000-0002-6316-7997Irina Luisa Noblet Gaspar^{1  *}  , 0000-0003-0724-8167Hiltrudes Casamayor Vibet¹  , 0000-0002-1038-287XMaritza Maure López¹ 

¹Universidad de Guantánamo. Cuba

ABSTRACT

The work of Fernando Martinez Heredia contributes to the overcoming of insufficiencies in the development of a reflective thinking and in the work with the source of knowledge. The objective of this work is to offer methodological recommendations to articulate it as a source of historical knowledge in the discipline History of Cuba. Methods such as class observation, development of interviews, historical logical analysis and interpretation of bibliography were used. With the methodological work carried out, the students achieved a better understanding of the Cuban revolutionary process and developed a reflective attitude about Cuba, recognizing the patriotic traditions.

Key words: Fernando martínez heredia; Source of historical knowledge; History of Cuba; Methodological work

Introduction

Since the early gestation of Cuba as a nation, the importance of knowledge of the history of the homeland has been emphasized. Several authors have contributed to the development of Cuban History as a teaching subject, among them ^{Díaz (2006}), ^{Romero (2006}) and ^{Campos (2018}), elaborate their proposals recognizing the knowledge of it as fundamental in the achievement of the construction of an independent nation and propose theoretical-methodological alternatives.

However, it continues to be necessary to improve the treatment of the heritage that constitutes the source of historical knowledge so that the teaching of Cuban History becomes a more efficient tool in social transformation. The methodological work developed in this discipline, seen through the validation of the program of the subject and the actions that are developed in different organs of the methodological and educational teaching work in the career of Bachelor in Accounting and Finance of the University of Guantánamo, evidences insufficiencies in the teaching and learning process of this subject.

Fernando Martínez Heredia, an outstanding Cuban revolutionary intellectual, contributes with knowledge of the patriotic history that enriches the historiographic studies developed in the country. His reflections gather the necessary scientificity to be used in the teaching of Cuban History and thus raise its quality.

With the logical historical analysis and the interpretation of the bibliography with a transdisciplinary approach, the present work is constructed with the objective of offering methodological recommendations to use Fernando Martinez Heredia's work as a source of historical knowledge in the teaching of Cuban History in the career of Bachelor in Accounting and Finance.

Development

Marti's preaching in the struggle for national independence substantiates the need for knowledge of the history of the homeland. The guiding documents of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) and the work objectives of the ^{Ministry of Higher Education (MES) (2017}) also endorse it.

The “E” Study Plan of the Bachelor's Degree in Accounting and Finance recognizes the need for the teaching of Cuban History to train professionals committed to the Cuban social project.

The discipline History of Cuba transversalizes the formative process and contributes to the development of ethical values consistent with the Cuban socialist project. Likewise, it contributes to the formation of an accounting and finance professional with reflective and critical thinking, capable of discerning, in the face of media cultural propaganda, in accordance with the historical interests of the Cuban people.

The knowledge of Cuban History offers resources to learn from the past, to understand and transform the present in correspondence with the patriotic traditions and the emancipation of Cuba. University professionals are conceived as protagonists in the preservation of the socialist project, the defense of sovereignty and national independence against the imperial ambitions of the United States of America (USA).

The observation of classes, the development of interviews and the assessment of students' behavior in different extension activities in this career report limitations in the use of historical knowledge to explain problems of contemporary social practice in Cuba.

Fernando Martínez Heredia pointed out in different texts the need to continue perfecting the teaching of Cuban History and to work on the dissemination of historical research because it is a fundamental knowledge for the safeguarding of the nation. For him, history is an invaluable weapon, so it is necessary to disseminate and deliver that history to children and young people. He considers that it is necessary to interest, attract, excite and share historical knowledge to overcome the scarce use that is made of it. (Martínez Heredia, 2018)

The intellectual and theoretical trajectory of Fernando Martínez Heredia has not been sufficiently studied. ^{Sader (2018}) and ^{Sánchez (2018}) delve into his thought highlighting the axiological and ideological values of his work based on the knowledge of the history of Latin America and Cuba contained in it. In the bibliographic search carried out, no proposals were identified that address his theoretical proposal as a source of historical knowledge in the teaching of Cuban History.

Fernando Martínez Heredia was born in Villa Clara, he developed a deep theoretical work from the study and dissemination of Cuban history. His texts deal with issues related to the struggles of the Cuban people in all its stages and he dwells on the participation of different social sectors and personalities, considered by him as fundamental in the national history.

In the study of the patriotic history, Martinez vindicates Marxism as a theoretical tool for the understanding and explanation of the different historical facts and processes. At the same time, he assumes the most progressive of Cuban and Latin American thought as a reference to disseminate the History of Cuba and use it as an instrument of revolutionary awareness in the struggle for the defense of independence, sovereignty and socialism.

The treatment of Fernando Martinez Heredia's work as a source of historical knowledge is endorsed by the understanding of the historical, social, economic and political phenomena it contains. Another aspect considered is the historical and logical analysis of the national history that it exposes, the same one favors to apprehend the course of history and the way in which the different processes have conditioned the Cuban contemporaneity.

^{Méndez et al. (2016}) agrees that the source of historical knowledge is not only the bearer of historical data about what happened in the past, as a remnant or testimony; it is also the result of human activity that reflects historical facts directly.

Likewise, the analysis of ^{Guadarrama (2018}) is taken into account, who argues that in order to substantiate the scope of a work; the theoretical-conceptual and epistemological soundness must be considered, as well as its correspondence with the demands of social practice.

In the case of Fernando Martinez Heredia's work, the attributes valued by these authors are appreciated and based on these criteria it is conceived as a source of historical knowledge for the teaching of Cuban History. Its use for this purpose contributes to raise the quality of the teaching-learning process.

At the same time, the necessity and possibility of the treatment of this work in the teaching of Cuban History is given by its coherence with the guiding thread of the program: the process of formation, development, consolidation and defense of the Cuban nationality and nation.

The guiding ideas through which this thread will be developed refer to the struggles of the Cuban people to achieve the constitution of the Independent National State and to conquer social justice.

Fernando Martínez Heredia's approach to the Cuban revolutionary process favors the intentional treatment of unity as a guiding principle in the defense of Cuba's independence, the understanding of the Cuban revolution as a continuous process and of the United States as the historical enemy of Cuba's freedom and independence.

It is also valid to support the idea that socialism is the alternative of development with equity, social justice and independence for the country and to assume the thought of José Martí, Ernesto Che Guevara and Fidel Castro Ruz as ethical, ideological and theoretical support in the teaching of Cuban history.

In the general objectives of the program of the discipline History of Cuba, it is proposed to develop in students patriotic, socialist and internationalist convictions that propitiate an attitude consistent with their actions as revolutionary and socialist professionals.

Another of the purposes to be achieved is the creative application of the Marxist-Leninist methodology to the historical evolution of the Cuban people with its revolutionary traditions, its struggles and its continental and world projection.

In this sense, the contributions of this author are assumed as arguments to be taken into account for the achievement of the aspirations set forth in the History of Cuba program.

The first topic of the subject program is named Cuba during the colonial society and to work on the guiding ideas already stated it is proposed to use the following texts by Fernando Martínez Heredia : José Martí's Vision of History: Foundations and projects (2009), The humblest also created the nation (2016), José Antonio Aponte and the origins of Cuban political thought (2016), From blacks of Cuba to black Cubans (2017). The first three articles address the contribution of blacks, mulattos and mestizos to the process of shaping the nationality.

These articles refer to the participation of sectors little made visible by traditional historiography. They argue that their contributions were not only in war actions, but also in the development of revolutionary thought. Among them, José Antonio Aponte and Antonio Maceo are recognized.

Fernando Martínez Heredia makes visible the contributions of the different social sectors to the national liberation, especially of the most humble and discriminated. He argues that it is important to vindicate the popular participation in the struggles for emancipation. Therefore, he argues as one of the main intellectual tasks the rescue and interpretation with depth and commitment of the process of formation of the Cuban nation, its vicissitudes and what it offers us to face the present and the future (^{Martínez Heredia, 2018}).

In Los humildes (The humble) also created the nation, he highlights the participation of the most popular sectors in the process of shaping the Cuban nationality and nation. He explains that with their participation in the Revolution they became the bearers of the identity that defined them as Cubans, while at the same time they enriched with their libertarian practice the values that would characterize the Cuban people.

The use of these texts under the guidance of the teacher contributes to the students' appropriation of arguments that favor reflective reasoning around the recognition of the fundamental contribution of the humblest sectors in the construction of the nation's homeland.

The points of view and the evaluation developed by Fernando Martínez Heredia on José Martí and his revolutionary work are also considered. He highlights Marti's political practice in Cuba and the proposal of an inclusive project of social justice, focused on eliminating colonialism, stopping the nascent neocolonialism and founding a new republic with all and for the good of all.

He argues José Martí's political project from a revolutionary position that endures in time and ponders its validity to sustain Cuban socialism in the face of imperial policies and the challenges of building a social project that ensures equity and social justice.

In Fernando Martinez Heredia's work, the recurrences to José Martí's thought are frequent. He highlights the Apostle's visions on the history of America and Cuba, as well as the different ways in which he uses this knowledge for the development of his revolutionary social practice.

The second theme: Cuban neocolonial society, its establishment and evolution. Ideological projections, allows articulating texts that highlight the theoretical and practical revolutionary work of different historical personalities, particularly in the revolutionary process of the 1930s.

In this sense, it is considered to work with Noción de pueblo en la Historia me Absolverá (1973), Guiteras y la revolución (2001), ¿Por qué Julio Antonio? (2003), Introducción a la revolución cubana del 30 (2012), Guiteras y el socialismo cubano (2012), Socialismo soviético y socialismo cubano y el caso de Antonio Guiteras (2016).

The work with these texts helps in the explanation of anti-imperialism as a distinctive feature of the emancipatory movement from the third decade of the twentieth century. Another distinguishing aspect is the assumption of Marxism as a doctrine that together with Marti's ideology will serve as a theoretical, political and ideological foundation in the struggles for independence and social justice, as well as the role played in them by different personalities.

Antonio Guiteras, an important personality of this period, is considered an exponent of the most radical anti-imperialism and initiator of communism in Cuba, along with these aspects highlights his identification with the armed struggle, the unleashing of the popular revolution and the need to conquer political power. (^{Martínez Heredia, 2018}, p. 950)

He also highlights other fundamental figures of this revolutionary process such as Rubén Martínez Villena, Pablo de la Torriente Brau and Raúl Roa García who contributed to the radicalization of the Revolution of 30 by developing an anti-imperialism and a socialism consistent with the emancipatory needs of the Cuban nation.

The relevance of the articulation of these ideas lies in the fact that it favors the understanding of why anti-imperialism characterizes the revolutionary process and defines the international projection of the Cuban people and government. In accordance with this, anti-imperialism comes to be based on marking the complex process from which Cuba was transformed into an independent and sovereign country that chose socialism as an alternative social project.

In relation to the third theme: The Revolution in power. His work and significance are proposed

The conception of Che (2010), The thought of Ernesto Che Guevara (2010), Socialism (2014), Cuban Revolution, Fidel and left-wing Latin American thought (2015), Cultural relations between Cuba and the United States (2017), On socialism and man in Cuba (2017) and Origins and validity of Fidel's political thought (2017).

From these texts the professor leads the student to the conceptual apprehension and subsequent appropriation of knowledge related to the importance of confronting the imperialist cultural domination that prevails in the world today, as one of the manifestations of cultural domination and a way of subordinating and silencing other alternatives to annul the possibility that a better world is possible.

Fernando Martínez Heredia highlights the theoretical and practical work of figures such as Ernesto Che Guevara with the purpose of taking advantage of their axiological potentialities. He considers that Che's thought is an ethical-political reference in the construction of socialism so it is assumed as an extraordinary theoretical instrument for political, ideological and cultural formation. (^{Martínez Heredia, 2018}).

In Origins and validity of Fidel's political thought, he specifies his contributions, from his student life to becoming a revolutionary icon of universal stature. In the same sense, he refers to the historical significance of the revolutionary triumph of January 1, 1959 and his contributions to the theoretical and practical thinking of the Latin American left, creating a socialism based on Martí's thinking, a Latin American Marxism, anti-imperialist and internationalist where the people have been the revolutionary subject of the socialist project.

Fernando Martínez Heredia's assessment of Fidel Castro and the study of his thought allow us to affirm that the main ideas he develops on his thought are related to the conception of the people if it is a matter of struggle, the recognition of the historical need of anti-imperialism and internationalism, as well as the socialist alternative and the ethic that characterizes his revolutionary humanism. All of them attest to his originality and creativity in the interpretation and application of Marxism in revolutionary practice.

Fernando Martínez Heredia develops a valuation of Fidel Castro that is assumed as a model of valuation of historical personalities, he considers that Fidel has been the protagonist of all the battles faced by the Cuban people and declares:

Fidel is one of the summits of political radicalism in the history of Cuba. One of those revolutionaries who had to be, in his acts, his ideas, his proposals and his projects very subversive with respect to the established order and its foundations, and very superior to what seemed possible to common sense and to the ideas shared in his time, including those of other revolutionaries. Martí and Fidel are the two summits. (^{Martínez Heredia, 2018}, p. 1180)

The work of Fernando Martinez Heredia makes it possible to understand the performance and contributions of personalities who have marked the national history and the Cuban revolutionary process in its moments of unity and overcoming. The proposal of his texts is made in correspondence with the demands of the discipline History of Cuba and the profile of the accounting and finance professional.

The work developed to articulate his work in the teaching of Cuban History was in accordance with the following algorithm.

1st Systematization of the study of Fernando Martinez Heredia's work and determination of its theoretical and conceptual, ethical and ideological correspondence with the program of the discipline History of Cuba and the profile of the professional of accounting and finances.

2nd Compliance with the methodological recommendations according to the demands of the teaching-learning process and the evaluation of the students' results.

3rd Evaluation of the results of the fulfillment of said recommendations, identifying their feasibility and determining regularities.

Taking into account the theoretical-methodological aspects previously expressed, class observations, student interviews and review of the methodological work documents were carried out, and the following insufficiencies were observed:

• Insufficient use of student characterization for the design of transdisciplinary activities.

• Predominance in the classes of activities that do not favor reflective and critical thinking.

• Limited use of the historical, ideological and cultural heritage contained in Cuban revolutionary thought.

• A methodological work that ensures efficiency in the treatment of the source of historical knowledge is not consolidated.

• Lack of systematicity in the use of the Moodle Platform as a work tool in the teaching-learning process of the Cuban History discipline.

Based on the above, this article offers several methodological recommendations to contribute to the solution of the shortcomings detected by using the work of Fernando Martínez Heredia as a source of historical knowledge.

Methodological recommendations for working with the work of Fernando Martínez Heredia as a source of historical knowledge.

• To diagnose in students the development of skills that allow them to establish links between the contents of the discipline History of Cuba and the resolution of practical life problems.

• To contextualize the life and work of Fernando Martínez Heredia, as well as to specify his intentionality and political stance.

• Determine the texts of Fernando Martínez Heredia that will be used as a source of historical knowledge and process them for didactic purposes. To identify theme and argument, as well as the concepts, categories, processes and personalities of the Cuban national history he deals with. Establish the relationship with the objectives and knowledge system of the discipline.

• Articulate the selected content in correspondence with the logic of the programs of the discipline and the subject, as well as with its conceptual theoretical foundations, expressed in Marxism and the thought of José Martí, Ernesto Che Guevara and Fidel Castro.

• Determine the content of Fernando Martínez Heredia's work that allows the work in function of the values and formative purposes expressed in the curricular strategies.

• To promote the use of information and communication technologies in the bibliographic search related to Fernando Martínez Heredia and to systematize the interactive work with the Moodle Platform.

• To develop productive methods in the teaching-learning process that facilitate the achievement of developmental learning.

• To establish learning conditions that stimulate cognitive independence and the development of logical thinking, where the studies and approaches of Fernando Martínez Heredia are references for reflective and critical analysis and at the same time for the apprehension of history from a position of respect and identification with the patriotic traditions of the Cuban people.

• Promote and stimulate the work of students with the work of Fernando Martínez Heredia in scientific events, history forums, commemoration of historical dates and other extension activities.

• To plan in the system of evaluation of the process of formation of the professional actions that allow to value the significance and the advantage of the work of Fernando Martinez Heredia by the students.

• To consider in the validation of the program of the subject the results of the work with the work of Fernando Martínez Heredia as a source of historical knowledge.

The work developed according to these methodological recommendations allowed corroborating that the way in which Fernando Martínez Heredia approaches national history is assumed to ratify Marxism as a theoretical-methodological tool to understand the Cuban present. In turn, students appropriate the historical knowledge and the method that allows them to take advantage of it creatively in the understanding of the contradictions and challenges that the country faces in its purpose of building a more equitable and inclusive country.

The evaluation of the results of the work with Fernando Martínez Heredia's work evidenced that it approaches history with scientificity and contributes to the historiographic studies developed in Cuba. On the other hand, its use as a source of historical knowledge favors interpretation, reflection, the establishment of links between past, present and future with an ethical and ideological foundation.

The information obtained from the application of different instruments made it possible to observe in the students a greater approach and interest for the patriotic history from a critical and reflective posture. Likewise, they debate problems of the contemporary Cuban reality considering patriotic traditions.

The need to develop skills in students that allow them to work more effectively with the new information and communication technologies in the teaching of Cuban history was evidenced.

Conclusions

The formation of a professional with critical, reflective and transforming thinking is directly related to a better knowledge of the country's history.

With the fulfillment of the methodological recommendations proposed, a better treatment of Fernando Martínez Heredia's work as a source of historical knowledge was achieved. The articulation of this content improved the students' understanding of the Cuban revolutionary process while showing their identification with the patriotic tradition of the nation.

Referencias bibliográficas

Campos, W. (2018). Alternativa didáctica para potenciar el estudio de la historia local en los estudiantes de la carrera Marxismo Historia. (Tesis de maestría). Universidad Guantánamo.

Díaz, H. (2006). La Enseñanza de la Historia. Pueblo y Educación

Guadarrama, P. (2018). Para qué sirve la epistemología a un investigador y un profesor. Cooperativa Editorial Magisterio.

Martínez Heredia, F. (2018). Pensar en tiempo de revolución: Antología esencial Fernando Martínez Heredia. www.CLACSO.org

Méndez, O., Riverón Morales, F. F., Palma Cardona, J. y Ramírez Brizuela, l. O. (2016). Los mediadores didácticos en el proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje de Historia de Cuba. Multimed. Revista Médica. Granma, 20(6). 168-180. https://www.medigraphic.com/pdfs/multimed/mul-2016/mul166p.pdf

Ministerio de Educación Superior. MES. (2017). Plan de Estudio “E”. Carrera Contabilidad y Finanzas. (Archivo PDF).

Romero, M. (2006). Didáctica de la Historia. Pueblo y Educación.

Sader, E. (2018). Entrevista a Fernando Martínez Heredia. New Left review 110. https://newleftreview.es/issues/110/articles/fernando-martinez-heredia-pensar-por-nosotros-mismos.pdf

Sánchez, R. M. (2018). El marxismo en América Latina y la Revolución cubana. Reflexiones a partir del pensamiento de Fernando Martínez Heredia. www.proquest.com

Received: March 06, 2024; Revised: April 23, 2024; Accepted: May 20, 2024

^*Autor para la correspondencia: [e-mail]