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Why is Cuba’s May Day different?

Published May 2, 2012 9:30 PM

Why are May Day marches in Cuba different from May Day marches in most of the rest of the world?

Since the International Socialist Congress in 1889 decided to consider May 1 the international day of struggle, this day — inspired by the struggle in the U.S. for the eight-hour day — has become the day of international solidarity for the working class of the world.

In many countries around the world the workers will be on strike, protesting and fighting for their legitimate rights. In some countries these demonstrating workers will protest against their governments and the local rich, and they will confront the police and the power of the state.

In Cuba, just as in every year since the 1959 revolution, hundreds of thousands of workers and youth will be marching side by side with their political leaders in every province and municipality. They will march to firmly maintain the socialist ideas and to support the positions of the Sixth Congress of the Communist Party and the main goals of its First Conference.

If you visit Cuba at this time, you will see that in every workplace the workers are commemorating International Workers Day by being more efficient and having better economic results. This year the Cuban workers will demonstrate once more the strength of a united people.

Messages such as “Long live May Day!” “Long live the working class!” ”Long live the Cuban Revolution!” “Long live Socialism!” “The people united will never be defeated!” and “Freedom for the Cuban Five!” will be heard in every march along the island, and the marches will be massive, colorful and enthusiastic.

The workers will pay tribute to René Ramos Latour, Agapito Figueroa Barreras, Mario Muñoz Monroy, Lázaro Peña, Jesús Menéndez and Arecelio Iglesias, historical leaders of the working class. At the same time, they will demand the freedom of the Five Heroes, unjustly incarcerated in U.S. federal prisons. n