Cuban president Raúl Castro (inset) addressed a meeting (above) January 1 of more than 3,000 people in the island’s eastern city of Santiago de Cuba to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the triumph of the Cuban Revolution. “Today, the Revolution is stronger than ever; it has never failed to stand by its principles, not even in the most difficult circumstances,” Castro told the gathering. “Revolutions can only advance and endure when they are carried forward by the people.”

—BRIAN WILLIAMS