The Las Tunas people's response to the call to participate in the May Day parades in the main plazas throughout the province was described as colossal by their organizers. More than 95,000 people took to the streets in the capital alone, on the occasion of the International Workers' Day, although the provincial figure was estimated to be over 200,000.
Las Tunas, Cuba.– In this Eastern city, the parade through the Major General Vicente García González Revolution Plaza was led by Osbel Lorenzo Rodríguez, First Secretary of the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) in Las Tunas; Yelenis Tornet Menéndez, Governor; Ernesto Santiesteban Velázquez, a member of the PCC Central Committee and head of its Office for the Assistance to the Union of Young Communists and Mass Organizations; Osvaldo Vento Montiller, president of the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (INDER); and Marta Elena Feitó Cabrera, Minister of Labor and Social Security (MTSS).
In her opening remarks, Odalis Batista Pérez, secretary-general of the Provincial Committee of the Cuban Workers' Central Union (CTC), called for a march in defense of the homeland, social justice, and international solidarity with the workers.
On behalf of the children of the land of the León de Santa Rita, the leader condemned the Israeli genocide against the Palestinian people and the complicity of the United States and the European Union in perpetuating this crime against humanity.
She also criticized the hostility of US imperialism toward this archipelago and demanded an end to the economic blockade and the removal of Cuba from the spurious list of sponsor-terrorism nations.
"May Day in our country is celebrated as a day of joy, vindication of the rights of the working class, and reaffirmation of support for the Revolution and socialism," she affirmed.”
This year, the men and women of the “Army in White Coats” paraded first. Each organization and labor collective brought color and a variety of initiatives that reflected their enthusiasm.
In the fraternal union contest that awarded the best blocks, the winners were the Health Union, followed by the Agricultural and Education Workers, among the large groups. Among the medium-sized, the unions representing workers in the Construction, Food Industry, and Transportation sectors stood out, in that order. Among the smaller blocks, the awards went to the Energy and Mining, Communications, Information Technology and Electronics, and Culture unions. Additionally, the jury awarded recognition to the youth bloc.
