Editorial Letras Cubanas - Biblioteca Básica de Literatura Cubana (cover designer: Cecilia Guerra, editor: Eliana Dávila, author: Emilio Bacardí), "Vía Crucis," February 1979. Offset print, book.

The cover of "Vía Crucis" features Cecilia Guerra's powerful design depicting silhouetted revolutionary figures with raised arms and weapons in bold blue against a vibrant red circular field containing Cuba's white star, all framed against a rich purple background. The composition transforms the traditional Christian "Way of the Cross" into a symbol of Cuban independence struggle, with the decorative oval cartouches containing the title and author's name evoking both colonial baroque ornamentation and revolutionary graphic design. The contrast between the dynamic revolutionary imagery and the elegant typographic treatment creates a sophisticated visual tension that reflects the book's themes of sacrifice, struggle, and ultimate triumph. This design approach exemplifies the revolutionary government's efforts to reclaim and recontextualize Cuba's independence history within socialist ideology.

Published as part of Editorial Letras Cubanas' prestigious "Biblioteca Básica de Literatura Cubana" series, this 1979 edition makes Bacardí's important historical work accessible to post-revolutionary readers. The "Vía Crucis" chronicles the suffering and sacrifice of Cuban independence fighters, drawing explicit parallels between Christ's passion and the martyrdom of Cuban patriots. Written by one of Cuba's most prominent independence activists, the work provides firsthand testimony to the brutal realities of colonial oppression and the moral imperative of revolutionary resistance. The book includes "Vía Crucis (impresiones de un lector)," "Páginas de Ayer" (divided into two parts), "Magdalena," and a chronology, offering both personal reflection and historical documentation.

Emilio Bacardí Moreau (1844-1922) was a Cuban independence activist, writer, archaeologist, and member of the prominent Bacardí rum family. Born in Santiago de Cuba, he was repeatedly imprisoned and exiled by Spanish authorities for his revolutionary activities. Beyond his political involvement, Bacardí served as mayor of Santiago de Cuba after independence and founded Cuba's first museum. His literary works, including "Vía Crucis," draw from his direct experience in the independence movement, providing crucial testimony about the psychological and spiritual dimensions of anti-colonial struggle. The 1979 edition, edited by Eliana Dávila with a prologue by Cira Romero, was printed in February 1979 at Establecimiento No. 8 "Mario Reguera Gómez" in Havana, ensuring this foundational text of Cuban patriotic literature remained available to revolutionary Cuba's readers.