Big rally and military parade in Cuba to mark revolution

Thousands of Cubans participated in a military and civic rally on Monday in homage to the late leader Fidel Castro in Havana's Revolution Square.

Jan. 2 also marks the 60th anniversary of the landing of the Granma yacht, considered the beginning of the guerrilla war against dictator Fulgencio Batista.

The parade began at 7 a.m., chaired by President Raul Castro, and was also dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the uprising in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba, on Nov 30, 1956.

Initially, the rally was scheduled on Dec. 2, the day of Cuba's Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR), but was postponed due to the death of Fidel Castro on Nov. 25.

In a keynote address, Jennifer Bello, president of the Young Communist League, stressed the relevance of the event and ratified the commitment of the island's younger generations to follow Fidel's ideas and work.

"I am Fidel, I am Fidel. Long live Fidel", exclaimed participants as they marched past the tribune. The square was decorated with flags and images of Fidel, while the crowd sang the ballad, "Riding with Fidel", written by Cuban composer Raul Torres in tribute to the man who ruled the Caribbean nation for 48 years.

The rally was divided into several blocks. The first recalled Cuba's history, with horse riders, dressed as "mambises", resembling soldiers who fought for independence from Spain in the 19th century.

It also included a replica of the Granma yacht accompanied by children, and veterans of the guerrilla war in the Sierra Maestra Mountains (1956-58), the Battle of the Bay of Pigs (1961), and volunteers who supported struggles for freedom in Africa.

"I could not miss this meeting with history," said 82-year-old Ruben Perez, a veteran officer of several campaigns, including fighting counter-revolutionary guerrillas, the Bay of Pigs, and the Cuban expeditionary force sent to Angola in November 1975.

"I come here once more to show that I ratify my commitment with Fidel and his ideas, I have always been 'fidelista' and will be until I die," stressed Perez.

The second group was made up by members of Cuban military institutions: the Revolutionary Armed Forces, the interior forces, elite troops and the Navy.

"This is the tenth time that I participate in a parade at the Plaza, five times flying over the crowd and five times walking," said Luis Garcia, a retired pilot.

"I was born in a very small town of the Sierra Maestra called Nuevo Aserradero. It is hard to find on a map, but thanks to Fidel and his revolution, I graduated as a pilot in the Soviet Union," he highlighted.

Finally, the third segment was representative of the principle of the People's War, with delegations from the territorial, workers and student militias, followed by thousands of people marching in support of the socialist system.

After the victory of Fidel Castro in January 1959, Civic Square was renamed Revolution Square and became the main tribune for many of the country's historic events in the last five decades. Enditem