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The United States Embassy in Cuba published a security alert for U.S. citizens regarding the May Day event scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, starting at 8:00 a.m. in front of its own diplomatic headquarters in Havana.
The Cuban regime decided to move the central event of May 1st from the Plaza de la Revolución to the José Martí Anti-Imperialist Tribune, located on the Havana seawall, directly across from the U.S. embassy, in a change of venue filled with political symbolism.
According to the alert, the streets near the embassy could close starting Thursday night, with an increased police presence, traffic detours, and possible disruptions to transportation.
The diplomatic office will remain closed due to a local holiday and has activated the number +53-7-839-4100 to assist emergencies for U.S. citizens.
The embassy recommends "avoiding demonstrations and crowds, staying aware of your surroundings, and consulting local media to adjust plans as necessary."
The announcement of the relocation was made on April 14 by Osnay Miguel Colina Rodríguez, a member of the Central Committee and president of the organizing commission of the XXII Congress of the Central Workers' Union of Cuba, who justified it by appealing to "austerity" and the context of what he referred to as a "harsh energy blockade."
"In Havana, May 1st will not take place in the José Martí Plaza de la Revolución. We will gather at different locations in the local councils and from those points we will march towards the concentration points," stated Colina Rodríguez.
The format of the event will be decentralized, with a markedly warlike call under the official slogan "The Homeland is defended" and the quote from the National Anthem: "To die for the Homeland is to live."
Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz also appealed to the war rhetoric to mobilize the population for the event, stating that "defending the Revolution means contributing, each person doing their part of the duty."
The event occurs at a time of heightened tension between Havana and Washington. On March 28, Donald Trump stated in Miami that "sometimes military force must be used, and Cuba is next," which prompted the regime to activate the doctrine of "total people's war." The Pentagon accelerated contingency plans for a possible operation on the island, as revealed by USA Today on April 15.
This week, the U.S. Senate precisely voted down 51-47 a Democratic resolution to limit Trump's authority over Cuba.
The eve of the event further exacerbates the situation. This Thursday, the power outage in Cuba reached 1,502 MW, with a availability of only 1,652 MW against a demand of 3,100 MW, according to data from the energy collapse that the island is experiencing.
Critics point out that the change of venue aims to mask the low participation expected, adapting the setting to the circumstances of a country in crisis. The Anti-Imperialist Tribune, inaugurated in April 2000 during the Elián González case, has a capacity of up to 100,000 people in its open areas and was designed with a star on the ground pointing towards the U.S. Embassy.
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