Related videos:
Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz published a message this Thursday on his X account in which he praises the island's workers who, in his words, "do not allow themselves to be defeated by difficulties" and "day after day find alternatives and do things differently with talent, creativity, and commitment."
Marrero Cruz's message on the eve of May 1st was accompanied by the hashtag #LaPatriaSeDefiende and is part of the regime's official campaign to mobilize the population for the events this Friday, called by the Central de Workers of Cuba (CTC) —the only allowed union in the country— featuring a distinctly belligerent and anti-American tone.
"They confirm to us that #TheFatherlandIsDefended from every trench," wrote the prime minister, employing a common narrative of the Cuban government that frames job insecurity as a revolutionary virtue.
On the same day, Marrero Cruz presided over the award ceremony recognizing union collectives and workers from the Palco Business Group, where three entities received the National Vanguard distinction for the first time: the TRANSPAK Customs and Forwarding Company of Palco, the CONEX Central Office, and the UEB Palace of Conventions.
The speech contrasts with the economic reality faced by Cuban workers: the average state salary is around 6,930 Cuban pesos per month, which is equivalent to about 15 dollars at the informal exchange rate, while the basic cost of food for one person exceeds 45,000 pesos, more than six average salaries.
Cuba ranks last in the macroeconomic ranking of 27 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean according to CEPAL, with a projected GDP decline of 6.5% for 2026 and 89% of the population living in extreme poverty.
The energy crisis worsened after the capture of Nicolás Maduro in January 2026, which interrupted Venezuelan shipments of between 25,000 and 30,000 barrels of oil per day, and blackouts in Cuba can exceed 25 hours a day.
Marrero himself had requested days earlier "an iron fist" against fuel theft, indirectly acknowledging the desperation of the population in the face of shortages.
The main event of May 1st in Havana was not held this year in the Plaza de la Revolución, but at the José Martí Anti-imperialist Tribune, in front of the United States Embassy, due to reasons of "austerity" and what the regime refers to as "energy blockade."
Also yesterday, President Miguel Díaz-Canel met with about 80 workers from essential sectors in the El Laguito protocol hall and led the ceremony for the presentation of the Honorary Title of Hero of Labor of the Republic of Cuba, in which 18 distinguished Cubans participated along with members of the Political Bureau.
The May 1st is framed within the "Year of Preparation for Defense" and the "State of War" plans approved by Raúl Castro, which explains the militaristic slogan chosen by the CTC to mobilize a population facing the worst economic crisis in decades.
Filed under: