More than 600,000 working people marched in Havana May 1, International Workers Day, and tens of thousands more paraded through other cities and towns across Cuba in a massive celebration and expression of pride in their socialist revolution and determination to resist the U.S. rulers’ bipartisan economic war against them. The Havana action was led by a contingent of health care workers under the slogan, “For Cuba, Together We Create.”
Among those presiding over the rally were Army Gen. Raúl Castro, a longtime leader of the revolution; Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel; and Ulises Guilarte de Nacimiento, secretary general of the Central Organization of Cuban Workers (CTC).
Days before the parade, Díaz-Canel sent out a message urging a big turnout for this special day. “More than 30 years ago, after the fall of socialism in Europe, the massive celebrations of this day were limited to a few countries, Cuba among them,” he wrote. “With legitimate pride, today we can say that in the midst of the most severe shortages we never ceased to raise the banners of socialism.”