Enrique Leonardo de Jesús Maria Roig San Martín was a precursor of the workers struggles in Cuba. Popularizer of the fundamental ideas of Carlos Marx; according to specialists, he should not be considered a Marxist because he joined the anarcho-syndicalist current of the Spanish labour movement of the time. However, he was the first Cuban dedicated to orient the proletariat along the path of the class struggle. In addition, preached proletarian internationalism.
Roig San Martín, was born in Havana on November 5th1843. He first studied at the Saint Anacletus Colegio, Havana and in 1859 his brother Celestino Pedro took it to Manzanillo, where he learned the profession of master of sugar.
He met Fermín Valdés Domínguez and together they collaborated on the Center for instruction and recreation in Santiago de las Vegas, whose opening took place on February 5th, 1882. Fermin was his closest friend and described him of high stature, abundant hair and beard blond, small eyes and hearty moustache. Knew French as his mothertongue language and at his library were the most notable works of writers and philosophers.
He collaborated in various labor publications, until he founded the producer, whose first issue went out Thursday, July 12th 1887. During two years, at first weekly, then every Thursday and Sunday, the newspaper and its director became annoying enemies for the colonial Spain and the bourgeoisie. There was no social injustice that was not addressed in its pages. Authorities have fundamentalists and some employers thought even in the physical elimination of the labor leader.
In the articles by Roig, denouncing the exploitation of workers by the owners of workshops. As it is put in one of them, the publication intends to trying to bring together all workers in a common aspiration, the cause of their social regeneration.
It was outstanding his activity in the official newspaper organ directed by Roig San Martín in the defense of Cuban workers, that in 1888 the Central Board of artisans from Havana was named to the producer.
His internationalist spirit was evident when in the United States was sentenced to death eight workers of Chicago. Roig not only devoted to disclose and denounce the rigged process but rather prompted, by the producer, collections in aid of the relatives of the executed anarchists.
The Spain colonialist considered that article a declaration of war and imprisoned Roig on June 25th.
On July 11th, the producer announced that by his delicate state of health had not appeared in this edition his editorial column. In another number, corresponding to July 28, reported continued sick and prevented from writing their expected articles, although in the machon was still recognition as the director of the publication.
On the morning of August 29th, 1889 he died, invincible champion, the hard champion, the tireless advocate of worker rights, as termed him it the proletarian press of the time.
