On the Parliament’s X account, Lazo described Barnet as a prominent poet, narrator, essayist, ethnologist and lawmaker.

“To the honorary president of the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba and admirer of José Martí, our congratulations on the date on which our people commemorate the Apostle’s birth,” the parliamentary leader noted.

Barnet is one of the most internationally successful Cuban storytellers and his work has been translated into several languages. In 1994, he won the Cuban National Prize for Literature.

He specialized in ethnological research and aspects of the transculturation of religions of African origin in Cuba and the Caribbean.

He has written the scripts of several documentaries, and the Cuban feature films “Gallego” was based on his novel of the same name, while he was the co-writer of “La Bella del Alhambra” (The Belle of the Alhambra), which won an award at the Havana Film Festival and was inspired by his novel “Canción of Rachel” (Rachel’s Song).

He was awarded the 2023 National Cultural Heritage Award for Lifelong Work for his dedication to the rescue and promotion of Cuba’s heritage and most indigenous elements of the national culture.

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