Contrary to the crude notion that identifies utopias as a regulating ideal, the Cuban woman carves out her own paths knowing that the realization of paradise on earth –which turns out to be the same as the end of all dominations– will not be a donation from anyone, but a collective effort that demands that those who daily struggle to achieve it learn from their mistakes and correct them, violate the results of their practices and find, in the midst of the rottenness of capitalism, the forces capable of defeating what appears invincible. Fernando tried to systematize this learning and made design reflections. This anthology is published five years after his death, thanks to the support of his partner Esther Pérez and a coordination of publishers who want to pay tribute to him by sharing his texts in order to allow readers to get closer to the thought of this Cuban communist revolutionary, internationalist, Martian and faithful.

From the Prologue by Magdiel Sánchez Quiroz

In him the militant and the thinker, the revolutionary and the social scientist with their own criteria were united. He had the rare gift of uniting, in his life, his Gramscian organic link with popular movements and scientific rigor in his analysis, always attentive to letting practice question and enrich theory.

With the Critical Thinking magazine, which he founded and directed, he knew how to contribute to avoiding Marxist dogmatism in Cuba. In addition to advising the Sandinista Revolution following its triumph, he collaborated with the Bolivarian Revolution. He spread out throughout Latin America, sharing his knowledge with the social movements of Brazil –where he remained very close to the MST–, Argentina, El Salvador and many other countries.

Fernando brilliantly articulated Marxist thought with the work of José Martí, and updated that legacy based on the experiences of the Cuban Revolution and the revolutionary and popular practices of Latin America in the last five decades. Elegant in the way he expressed his ideas, concise in his oral discourse, profound in his written text, Fernando disconcerted orthophonic Marxists who only know how to echo doctrinal orthodoxy; to the prejudiced atheists, blind to the dialectical character of religion; to theorists and academics outside social practice; and the enthusiastic activists far from the theoretical reflection of his practices.

Fragments of the Epilogue of Frei Betto