Thousands took to the streets of Cuba’s main cities to mark 1 May – the first such rallies since the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic struck in March 2020. Heading up the celebrations were President Miguel Díaz-Canel, 90-year-old former president Raúl Castro (2008-2018), who remains the ultimate authority in Cuba, and other well-known figures such as Ulises Guilarte de Nacimiento, the general secretary of trade union federation, Central de Trabajadores de Cuba. The show of support for the Partido Comunista de Cuba (PCC) government was significant given the unprecedented protests which erupted last July over health, economic, and political grievances [WR-21-28]. However, human rights groups reported that, as in November 2021, when further planned protests were immediately quashed [WR-21-46], the government was not taking any chances.End of preview - This article contains approximately 628 words.
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