(WSVN) - Thousands of people were seen taking to the streets of Havana to mark International Labor Day, also known as May Day.
Supporters packed the streets of Revolution Square to remember the revolution and show support for the Cuban regime.
As part of the celebration, workers march with their colleagues to the square, where cultural and musical events are held.
“I came to defend my country, I am Cuban and nothing else,” said revolution supporter Belkis Rodriguez.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and other regime leaders, including Raul Castro, attended the event and addressed worker solidarity while speaking out against the United States’ energy embargo on the island.
The main rally throughout the day took place in front of the U.S. embassy. Many union leaders and members of the Cuban Communist Party called for peace, but reiterated Cuba’s readiness to defend itself and the revolution.
“This is still another moment to support the revolution, to keep moving forward, and to show the enemy that we are prepared for anything,” said Osmani Pedroso, Lt. Colonel of the Cuban Armed Forces.
It is a May Day like few others in the past with Cubans facing not only an energy crisis but also new threats by the Trump administration.
Trump has spent the better part of the last few months lobbing threats against the island nation’s government and suggested that Cuba could face the same fate as Venezuela.
“It may be a friendly takeover, might not be a friendly takeover because they’re down to, as they say, fumes,” said Trump.
The president signed an an executive order on Friday, expanding sanctions on Cuban officials. The order targets people, entities and any affiliates that support the Cuban government’s security apparatus or are complicit in corruption or serious human rights violations.
It comes as the president is seeking to apply more pressure on the government to cut an economic and political deal.
“The executive order is tied to democratic reform. I think its part of a broader effort on behalf of the U.S. government to go after and target authoritarian regimes that are antithetical to American foreign policy,” said 7News political expert Brian Fonseca.
Fonseca said he believes it all boils down to the administration’s push for regime change on the island nation.
“I think the spirit of this is making it clear the regime is not who they’re interested in doing business with. They wanna see a fracture in the regime,” he said.
Miami-area Congressman Carlos Gimenez showing his support of the new sanctions. In a statement posted to social media, he said: “The newly implemented sanctions against the Cuban regime are necessary to target its security apparatus. Anyone who props up this tyranny will face serious consequences. We must end this repressive regime that continues to pose a significant threat to our national security.”
Economic turmoil has only worsened since the capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro back in January. Venezuela was a key supplier of oil to the island nation.
The loss of those imports, cut off by the U.S., frequently plunges the island into darkness. Since the cutoff of oil, Cuba has received only one Russian oil tanker, far less than it needs.
But across the world, millions including worker unions and international delegations held demonstrations to honor May Day.
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