200,000 Gather in Havana to Celebrate International Workers' Day

On May 1, 2024, an estimated 200,000 people gathered at the Anti-Imperialist Tribune in Havana, Cuba to celebrate International Workers' Day. The massive crowd included Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez and Army General Raúl Castro Ruz. The event was organized by the Cuban Workers' Union (CTC), with its general secretary Ulises Guilarte de Nacimiento delivering a speech condemning the U.S. blockade and internal insufficiencies affecting the country's workers.

Guilarte recognized the complex economic situation in Cuba, characterized by limited economic performance, high inflation, and reduced purchasing power of wages. He attributed the main cause to the tightening of the U.S. blockade, while also acknowledging internal deficiencies in administrative management and lack of initiative. The CTC secretary called for workers to maximize working hours and increase items linked to food exports and production, as well as to consolidate the socialist state company and protect the rights of workers in the non-state sector.

Why this matters: The massive turnout at the International Workers' Day celebration in Havana demonstrates the Cuban people's resilience and unity in the face of ongoing economic challenges and the U.S. blockade. The event highlights the significance of the labor movement in Cuba and its role in defending workers' rights and the country's socialist project.

The celebration was attended by over 1,000 delegates from 220 countries participating in the International Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba, who also demanded an end to the blockade. Cuban government officials, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodriguez and Deputy Prime Minister Jorge Luis Perdomo, expressed their support for the workers and the unity of the Cuban people in the face of challenges.

Similar rallies were held in the main squares of other provinces across Cuba to mark the 65th anniversary of the first workers' parade after the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in 1959. Cubans used the occasion to demand the cessation of the U.S. economic blockade and the removal of Cuba from the U.S. list of countries allegedly sponsoring terrorism, while also expressing their majority support for the socialist project.

Guilarte ratified the Cuban union movement's commitment to re-boosting the economy in 2024 and condemned the genocide committed by Israel's forces against the Palestinian people. "Cubans remain firm and united around the Revolution, defending its ideals of independence, sovereignty, and social justice," he stated.

Key Takeaways

• 200,000 Cubans gathered in Havana to celebrate International Workers' Day.
• Cuban leaders, including Díaz-Canel and Raúl Castro, attended the event.
• CTC secretary Guilarte acknowledged economic challenges and called for increased productivity.
• Over 1,000 delegates from 220 countries demanded an end to the U.S. blockade.
• Cubans expressed support for the socialist project and condemned the U.S. blockade.