The Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) has decided to suspend the iconic May Day parade, International Labor Day, on the Caribbean island due to the health crisis unleashed by the coronavirus pandemic.
The decision was made at a meeting of the Political Bureau of the PCC that was headed by its first secretary, former President Raúl Castro, as reported on Wednesday by the official newspaper ‘Cubadebate’.
The same day, the current president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, was informed that he has asked the Cuban Workers Central to make proposals to “celebrate the workers’ anniversary in accordance with current conditions so that it is not overlooked.”
The Political Bureau had already agreed on March 19 “to significantly modify the Plan of National Acts and Events that had been approved for this year, also in order to avoid carrying out activities that involved the concentration of people.”
The May 1 parade is one of the great political celebrations of Cuba, along with July 26 and January 1, dates linked to the Cuban Revolution.
Cuba, with six deaths and 186 cases, has not declared mandatory confinement but has recommended that the population stay home and limit their outings to the streets to essential ones. Leisure venues have been closed and classes and transportation between provinces have been suspended. The entrances and exits of the country have also been restricted.
© 2020 Europa Press.
