Cuban President Heads May Day Central Event

Cuban May Day demonstration in Havana. Hundreds of thousands attended to express solidarity with the workers struggle internationally., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Havana. May 1, 2013

Cuban President heads May Day central event

PRESIDENT Raúl Castro today headed the central event for International Workers’ Day, while Cuban workers and people filled the country’s plazas and avenues in honor of Venezuelan Comandante Hugo Chávez.

In Havana’s Plaza de la Revolución, President Raúl Castro is present at the celebration in which hundreds of thousands of workers, professionals, youth, students, children and the population in general are participating under the maxim of marching united for a prosperous and sustainable socialism, according to the Federation of Cuban Workers (CTC), which convened the May Day event.

The CTC call made public at the beginning of this week emphasized the tribute to Chávez and support for the Bolivarian Revolution.

“To the sister people of Venezuela and their President Nicolás Maduro, our active solidarity and commitment to continue together in this struggle for the America envisioned by Simón Bolívar and José Martí, the communiqué reads.

The call states that this is another opportunity to demand the end of the economic, commercial and financial blockade of Cuba maintained by the United States for more than 50 years.

The marchers are also demanding the liberation of the five Cuban anti-terrorists incarcerated in the United States after their arrest in 1998 for monitoring Miami groups plotting acts of terrorism against Cuba, and who were sentenced without any evidence relating to the charges brought against them being presented at their trial.

The national press today published a message from Gerardo Hernández, Fernando González, Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero and René González, in which the Five – as they are known in campaigns for their release – greet workers in Cuba and throughout the world. (PL)