(https://photos.moderncities.com/Other/Writers-of-the-First-Coast/i-KMCQfTn/0/4153c26c/XL/Felix%20Varela%20crop-XL.jpg)
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Father Félix Varela (1788-1853), considered the grandfather of Cuban independence and the first Cuban-American writer, grew up here on the First Coast in St. Augustine. Years later, after his fervor for a Cuba Libre had forced him to spend most of his life exiled from his homeland, he returned to the ancient city to end his days. Varela's two stints in St. Augustine bookended a remarkable life that saw him become a prominent writer and a respected Catholic priest now on track for sainthood.
https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/writers-of-the-first-coast-flix-varela/