May Day in Cuba: Parading Amid Hunger and Blackouts

On Thursday, Havana woke up to throngs of people making their way to the Plaza de la Revolución for the annual May Day parade, a traditional event marking International Workers' Day. The government had strategically gathered fuel to transport citizens to the capital's parade, a tactic employed for decades. According to state-run media Cubadebate, over 600,000 people in Havana and more than 5.3 million workers across Cuba attended the event.

This year's celebration unfolded against the backdrop of Cuba's severe economic crisis, characterized by extended power outages, food shortages, a crippled transportation system, and mounting public dissatisfaction. Leader Miguel Díaz-Canel, accompanied by his wife Lis Cuesta, appeared early at the central event in Havana. They wore shirts reflecting the national flag's colors and Palestinian scarves, a common symbolic gesture in their public appearances.

“We are already at the Plaza. Dawn breaks, confirming our expectations: Cuba can always surpass itself,” Díaz-Canel wrote on social media, echoing the official narrative of resilience in the face of adversity. He also quoted Raúl Castro, praising the people with the phrase: “What a kind of people we have,” as a way to highlight the parade as a supposed demonstration of popular support.

However, the reality on the streets and on social media painted a starkly different picture from the government's portrayal. The day was coordinated amidst a dire scenario. Cubans grapple daily with the scarcity of basic foods, the inability to cook due to the lack of electricity, and the anxiety of watching their incomes dwindle as prices soar.

The shortage of fuel has brought much of public transportation to a standstill, yet the regime orchestrated the forced transport of state workers and students from the early hours to ensure a massive turnout for the political event. As in previous years, refusing to participate could lead to repercussions in workplaces or educational institutions.

This pressure to attend is part of a long-standing social control strategy the government has honed over decades. In many schools and businesses, attendance lists for the march are mandatory. On social media, the sentiment was starkly different. While state television showcased images of waving flags and rehearsed choreography, thousands of users criticized the disconnect between the official discourse and their harsh daily realities.

“The only thing you breathe in Cuba is blackout,” an internet user commented on the leader's post, directly referencing the frequent power cuts plaguing the country. This year's call to march, previously announced by Díaz-Canel as an event to be held “amid the harshest shortages,” was seen by many as a tacit admission of the situation's severity.

Rather than acknowledging errors or announcing specific solutions, the regime's focus remained on ideological resilience and calls to “defend socialism,” even as it has effectively collapsed for most Cubans. The May Day parade has traditionally been a propaganda showcase for the Cuban regime. However, in the current context, the gap between rhetoric and reality has become more apparent than ever.

While leaders occupied the main stage, millions of Cubans faced yet another day of uncertainty, blackouts, and hunger. For many, the real daily struggle isn't in political slogans but in finding a piece of bread, a liter of oil, or a candle to light the night. The Plaza de la Revolución was once again filled, but out of obligation. What was once a proud display of popular support now appears as forced as the smile of someone walking under the sun, uncertain of what they will eat tomorrow.