More than half a million Cubans flooded the area outside the U.S. Embassy in Havana on May 1, waving Cuban flags and chanting anti-blockade slogans in a massive display of support for their government on International Workers’ Day. The celebration, held at the Anti-Imperialist Platform José Martí, came as U.S. President Donald Trump signed a new executive order freezing assets of Cuban officials and imposing secondary sanctions on foreign banks that do business with the island.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canelwalked through the crowd early in the morning. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, posted a video of Cubans dancing on social networks and wrote, “The Cuban people respond to today’s new U.S. Executive Order, #May1st, which contains new unilateral coercive measures. We will not be intimidated,” he wrote, adding the hashtag #DefendTheHomeland alongside his message.

Osnay Miguel Colina Rodríguez, president of the Organizing Committee of the 22nd Congress of the Cuban Workers’ Federation (CTC), addressed the crowd, bringing out the Cuban people’s steadfastness in the face of external aggression. “Our enemies have tried and tested everything. They expected to see us discouraged, defeated, and here we are, committed and firm, with our feet in the stirrup and fighting,” he said.

The trade union leader described the massive gathering of more than half a million people as “Fidel’s May Day in the year of his centennial.”

The festivities were a powerful show of resistance, but for many on the island, the daily reality is one of deepening crises.

A Havana resident who has followed Cuban politics for decades, was unable to attend this year’s march due to ongoing health challenges. Speaking to The Final Call from her home, she described a population under immense strain.

“There were many people protesting against Trump’s new laws against Cuba,” she said. “But we are really struggling with blackouts, no running water, and high prices of food and medicines even in the black market.”

Her words paint a picture far removed from the celebratory scenes. The new U.S. measures, which include an oil blockade and sanctions that have intercepted at least seven tankers since January, have worsened an already severe energy crisis. Power outages now last up to 24 hours a day in more than half the country, according to Cuba Headlines.

The Cuban government relocated the main May Day rally from Revolution Square to the site facing the U.S. Embassy, citing “austerity” and the “energy blockade” as reasons. Nearly 95-year-old former president Raúl Castro presided over the event, during which organizers presented petitions bearing over 6.2 million signatures in support of the homeland.

The gathering also united more than 827 supporters of Cuba from 38 nations, 152 global trade unions and solidarity groups, labor heroes, founders of the Cuban Workers’ Federation, and members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the nation. Simultaneously, thousands of Cubans participated in marches throughout the country, adding to the nationwide mobilization.

The remarks by the Havana resident interviewed by The Final Call, reinforced the complexity of the moment. While she noted the widespread anger at U.S. policy, she did not shy away from describing the collapse of basic services. The Trump administration has imposed more than 240 sanctions on Cuba since January, presenting them as part of a campaign to force political and economic change.

For the Cuban government, May Day was a chance to project unity and resistance. But for residents like the woman interviewed by The Fial Call, the blockade and the government’s own economic struggles have produced a humanitarian squeeze.

“We support the revolution,” she said, “but the people are tired. We need light. We need water. We need medicine.”

As the drums faded along the Malecón and the crowds dispersed, the contrast between the rally’s defiant energy and the calm despair in Havana’s homes could not have been starker. The Trump administration shows no sign of relenting, and Cuba’s leaders show no sign of bending. In between are millions of people, navigating blackouts and empty shelves, waiting for relief that has not come.