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While Matanzas is facing close to dozens of damaged transformers, power outages lasting over 30 hours, overwhelming unsanitary conditions, and a deteriorating historical heritage beset by humidity and invasive vegetation, the Central Organization of Cuban Workers (CTC) in the province is already enthusiastically preparing the parades for each municipality for May 1st, which this year promise to be "different" but with "the same fervor."
The Girón Newspaper, the official organ of the Communist Party in the region, published a note this week in which the "cadres" of the CTC announce plenary sessions, voluntary work, meetings with "heroes of labor," and the presentation of awards during the three weeks leading up to the celebration. The provincial slogan is "For Cuba, together we create," alongside the national motto: "The homeland is defended."
Osmar Ramírez Ramírez, secretary of the CTC in Matanzas, confirmed that parades will be held in all 13 municipalities of the province and stated that "this is not just an invitation for workers, but for all families and the people of Matanzas"; although he acknowledged that the celebration will be "different from previous years, due to the current context the country is facing, but with the same fervor."
This "current context" that the official briefly mentions includes, among other things, that the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant — the country's main facility, located precisely in Matanzas — suffered damage to its boiler on April 6, contributing to one of the three total national power outages that Cuba has experienced so far in 2026, the longest lasting 29 hours and 29 minutes.
This year's event is dedicated to the Centenary of Fidel Castro, the 65th Anniversary of the Victory at Playa Girón, and the XXII Congress of the CTC. The first block of the parade in the western province will feature the Health union, led by the Faustino Pérez Provincial Hospital, in recognition of the doctors who work for monthly salaries equivalent to about ten dollars.
Ariannis Rodríguez Hernández, a member of the CTC secretariat, emphasized that "almost 50 labor collectives have been national vanguards" in the province, with the unions in Tourism, Construction, and Culture being the most representative—all sectors clearly in decline.
Official propaganda also celebrates that Matanzas reaches this May 1st with the designation of "Outstanding" in national emulation for the third consecutive year. What it does not celebrate is that workers in Matanzas earn an average salary of less than 7,000 pesos per month in a country where the minimum cost of living exceeds 50,000 pesos —more than seven times that salary—, chicken is sold for thousands of pesos and a liter of gasoline costs astronomical figures.
In February, the provincial authorities ordered a reduction in in-person work and encouraged telecommuting to save fuel, as employees could not arrive on time due to issues with public transportation. The banks were without electricity for four days, resulting in endless lines.
Meanwhile, the Grand Hotel Balneario San Miguel de los Baños, a National Monument since 2001, showcases walls with humidity, crumbling stucco, and invasive vegetation after decades of neglect. The Sauto Theater and the Versalles railway bridge complete the picture of a city that is falling apart.
The UN recognized this month that . Despite this, the CTC urges workers to resolve the deficiencies in the country themselves. The parades, which mobilized 5.3 million people in 2025 according to official figures—many walking more than ten kilometers due to a lack of fuel—are widely reported as “mandatory”: attendance is checked, and those who do not attend face job repercussions. "They marched because that’s what the authorities ordered", summarized Cuban women interviewed last year.
El Periódico Girón concluded its note with an image that summarizes better than any analysis the chasm between propaganda and reality: "This May Day, although different from previous ones, the people of Matanzas will once again walk the streets of our city and fill the sky with flags." They are right about walking, because when it comes to fuel for the buses, it’s better not to mention it.
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