José Joaquín Palma

Jose Joaquin Palma (Bayamo, Cuba, September 11, 1844 - Guatemala City. August 2, 1911. Son of Pedro Palma y Aguilera and Dolores Lasso de la Vega. Went to "San José" School in Bayamo under the direction of José María Izaguirre whom he would later meet again in Guatemala. Wrote poetry since his youth and is considered an important Cuban poet. Joined the revolutionaries of the Ten Years' War in Cuba (1868–1878) and served briefly as a recruiter for the revolutionary forces and as an aid to Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, the leader of the insurrection. When Bayamo was about to fall to the Spanish forces, he set fire to his own house in the city-wide fire started by the residents. Went to Jamaica, New York and Guatemala in an attempt to gain support for the Cuban insurrection. In Guatemala he met the Honduran Marco Aurelio Soto who later became president of Honduras. Went to Honduras as private secretary to President Soto in 1876 and left this county and returned to Guatemala when Soto resigned as president. In 1896 the government of Guatemala promoted a contest to select the lyrics of the national anthem - the National Anthem of Guatemala. The winning piece was entered anonymously by José Joaquín Palma. Not until 14 years later, in 1910, did he reveal that he was the author. Received a gold medal from the Guatemalan government for his literary and patriotic contributions.