Cuba Holds International Workers' Day Rally as US Intensifies Pressure
Al Jazeera English
Thousands of Cuban workers marched in Havana on May 1st for International Workers' Day, as the Trump administration unveiled fresh sanctions against the Caribbean island nation. The event drew former leader Raul Castro and President Miguel Diaz-Canel, amid vows to resist mounting U.S. pressure.
On May 1st, thousands of Cuban workers from the electricity and oil sectors marched in Havana for International Workers' Day, as the government vowed to resist mounting U.S. pressure that is adding strain to an already struggling economy.
Former leader Raul Castro, 94, and President Miguel Diaz-Canel attended the capital's celebrations on Friday. The same day, the Trump administration announced new sanctions.
A White House statement said the sanctions would target individuals linked to the security forces, along with "material supporters of the Cuban government." It also asserted, without providing evidence, that the Caribbean island is a "safe haven for transnational terrorist groups" such as Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group.
An earlier U.S. energy blockade has dealt a heavy blow to Cuba's troubled economy and contributed to widespread blackouts.
"We are living through difficult times," said Yunier Merino Reyes, an accountant with the Electric Union, who joined Friday's march to cheer on colleagues. "We are working very hard, with difficulty and without rest — day and night — to provide electricity for the people who need it," he told the Associated Press.
The Trump administration has frequently threatened Cuba with military strikes alongside stronger economic pressure.
"Today Cuba once again shows that this people will not be subdued, and we will defend the homeland to the end, even though we desire peace," Milagros Morales, a 34-year-old Havana resident who took part in the march, told Reuters.
