The first statue that was built in Cuba in honor of José Martí is located in the Central Park of Havana.
That statue was inaugurated on February 24, 1905 and its creator was the sculptor José Vilalta y Saavedra. The statue was erected thanks to a popular subscription. In advance, since 1875, in this place where the statue of Martí was found there was one of the Spanish Queen Isabel II. This statue was there until the Spanish domination of Cuba ended in 1898.
In 1899 a Havana weekly, "El Fígaro", conducted a survey to find out what was the criterion about which statue was the one that should be located in that place of the Cuban capital.
After remembering that it was the one of Martí, in 1900 a group of patriots created a commission and a collection was realized later ascending to 3,500 pesos.
After the triumph of the Revolution in 1959, they were incorporated into the area where the statue, trees, fountains and sculptures are located.
In this site of the Cuban capital, dissimilar acts of patriotic character have been carried out.