International
International Workers’ Day celebrated in Cuba
May 5 |
With acts, parades and artistic and cultural events, hundreds of thousands of Cuban workers participated this Friday in the celebration of International Workers’ Day, showed their willingness to continue contributing to the development of the country without departing from the path of socialism and showed solidarity with the struggles of workers around the world.
The celebration was called by the Central de Trabajadores de Cuba (CTC) and was postponed until this Friday due to inclement weather. Due to the economic situation, this time the events were organized in each municipality, so the celebration of 164 was foreseen and popular participation was extended.
The main event took place in Havana and was headed by the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, and Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez.
Before more than one hundred thousand people gathered on Havana’s Malecon, CTC Secretary General Ulises Guilarte said that Cubans are fighting with their own strength and talent to overcome objective difficulties and internal insufficiencies on the road to development.
He emphasized that they are focused on the economic battle, expanding food production, increasing income collection for the country, strengthening the socialist state enterprise and increasing foreign investment, among other goals.
He explained that this collective effort seeks to improve the supply of products and services, control price increases and increase the value of salaries and pensions.
Guilarte denounced the impact of the economic, commercial and financial blockade of the United States (U.S.) against Cuba, which translates into countless difficulties in daily life and is considered the greatest violation of human rights of the inhabitants of the Caribbean nation.
He recalled that only those who fight and resist have the right to triumph, as Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro Ruz once said. He said that his compatriots will never surrender or give up the desire to conquer new victories.
He stressed the value of unity and said that, in addition to facing the challenges of the country’s development, workers will maintain their solidarity with other peoples in the face of the crisis of the capitalist system and its neoliberal policies.
He pointed out that the U.S. articulates new campaigns of manipulation, lies and hatred against the Revolution and this time tried to spread negative opinion matrixes on the popular support to the May Day celebration.
Guilarte considered that Friday’s events and parades, supported by thousands of Cubans, explicitly refuted this thesis, and stressed that what happened is proof of the majority support of the people for the Revolution and its continuity.
The celebration of May Day in Cuba included the celebration in Havana of the International Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba and Anti-imperialism 200 years after the Monroe Doctrine, which took place between April 29 and May 2. Around 1,300 guests from different parts of the world attended the event in the Cuban capital.
After postponing to Friday the celebration of International Workers’ Day, the Cuban government declared May 5 a labor holiday and thus allowed the massive participation of the people in the working class celebration.
International
Petro expresses concern over fatal shooting during mass protests in Lima
Colombian President Gustavo Petro voiced his “concern” on Thursday over recent events in Peru, following the death of a protester reportedly shot during a massive demonstration in Lima against the government and Congress.
“I must express my concern over the events in Peru. A young artist has been killed in citizens’ protests,” Petro wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The Colombian leader also noted that in Peru, “a popularly elected president remains imprisoned without conviction,” referring to Pedro Castillo, who led the country from July 2021 to December 2022 until he was removed by Congress following a failed attempted coup.
“This is a blatant violation of the American Convention on Human Rights,” Petro stated, adding, “I hope Peru seeks social and political dialogue to legitimize its public institutions.”
On Wednesday, Peru experienced widespread protests in several cities, with the largest demonstration in Lima in recent years, driven by citizens’ concerns over corruption and public insecurity.
During the capital’s mobilization, the Ombudsman’s Office confirmed the death of Eduardo Ruiz, 32, and reported clashes that left over 100 injured, including 78 police officers and 24 protesters, as well as ten arrests.
The Attorney General’s Office, investigating Ruiz’s death “in the context of serious human rights violations,” confirmed that the protester was shot.
International
Peru’s interim president José Jerí refuses to resign after protester’s death in Lima
Peru’s interim president, José Jerí, stated Thursday that he has no intention of resigning from the post he assumed last Friday, following the removal of former president Dina Boluarte, despite growing unrest over the death of a protester during massive demonstrations in Lima on Wednesday.
“I will not resign,” Jerí declared outside the Government Palace in Lima, where he returned on foot after making a surprise visit to Congress headquarters alongside Prime Minister Ernesto Álvarez.
Earlier, after leaving the Legislative Palace, the president acknowledged that the country is going through “difficult times” and condemned what he described as “a small group attempting to impose an agenda different from the citizens’ expression of discontent.”
Jerí expressed condolences for the death of Eduardo Ruiz, a 32-year-old man who died during Wednesday’s protest against the government and Congress, amid growing anger over corruption and insecurity.
“We stand in solidarity with his family,” he said, without offering further details about the incident, which has sparked outrage among Peruvians.
The president also described the demonstrations as “a legitimate civic expression” that later turned violent due to “certain groups seeking to provoke chaos by exploiting a peaceful citizen movement.”
“In a state governed by the rule of law, the rights of both demonstrators and security forces must be protected,” Jerí emphasized, adding that “as a result of that situation, this unfortunate death occurred outside the main area where the protest was taking place.”
International
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Wednesday that the death toll from recent rains and floods across several central states has risen to 66, while the federal government has activated air bridges and prioritized assistance in 191 isolated communities.
“Unfortunately, 66 people have died, and 75 remain missing,” the president said during her morning press conference. She added that the official death toll will be updated later in a new report.
As of Tuesday, authorities had reported 64 fatalities. Sheinbaum also announced the creation of a public information center to centralize official data on the deceased, missing persons, damaged homes, and cut-off communities.
According to the president, the number of missing persons has decreased thanks to coordination with state authorities.
“Through calls to phone line 079, 103 people who had been reported missing have now been located,” she explained.
Priority Municipalities
The president noted that the federal government has classified 191 communities as ‘priority’, a designation based mainly on the percentage of homes affected.
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