HAVANA -- (AP) -- Cuban schoolchildren on Monday delivered about 10,000 letters to the American mission, hoping to explain to President Bush details of the life of Cuban independence leader Jose Marti.

 Fidel Castro insists that Bush misquoted Marti during a speech in Quebec City in April, leading to a nationwide letter-writing campaign by Cuban schoolchildren.

 About 40 children delivered the letters to the U.S. Interests Section in Havana, diplomatic sources confirmed. The delivery was arranged between the American mission and the Cuban Foreign Ministry.

 The national letter-writing effort was announced in late May by Juventud Rebelde, the Communist Youth newspaper. The daily said a total of 150,000 letters were being written.

 The idea emerged in April after the Summit of the Americas, a gathering of leaders of all the nations in the hemisphere -- except for Cuba.

 During his speech at the summit, Bush read a quote he attributed to Marti: ``Liberty is not negotiable.''

 Castro claims Marti, one of Cuba's most beloved heroes, never made such a statement.

 "Sir: I hope that by receiving this letter you will learn all you need to know about our national apostle,'' read one of the letters, published last month by Juventud Rebelde.

 Marti is embraced by both Cuba's communist government and the anti-communist exile community in Miami.

                                    © 2001