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| Huge rally in Cuba marks May Day | Huge rally in Cuba marks May Day |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Hundreds of thousands of Cubans are attending a May Day parade in Havana honouring the world's workers. | Hundreds of thousands of Cubans are attending a May Day parade in Havana honouring the world's workers. |
| President Raul Castro, who succeeded his ailing brother Fidel in February, is attending the celebrations. He did not address the crowds. | President Raul Castro, who succeeded his ailing brother Fidel in February, is attending the celebrations. He did not address the crowds. |
| Raul Castro, 76, has introduced a series of reforms since becoming the leader of the Communist state. | Raul Castro, 76, has introduced a series of reforms since becoming the leader of the Communist state. |
| But he has also made it clear that there will be no political reforms to the one-party system. | But he has also made it clear that there will be no political reforms to the one-party system. |
| Creating 'softer system' | Creating 'softer system' |
| Raul Castro arrived in Havana's Revolution Square wearing his trademark general's uniform, but he did not make a speech. | Raul Castro arrived in Havana's Revolution Square wearing his trademark general's uniform, but he did not make a speech. |
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| Cubans attend a May Day parade in Havana | |
| Instead, there was a brief speech by the leader of the trade union movement and then the march got under way, the BBC's Michael Voss in Havana says. | Instead, there was a brief speech by the leader of the trade union movement and then the march got under way, the BBC's Michael Voss in Havana says. |
| Cuban authorities say that 500,000 people are taking part in the parade. | Cuban authorities say that 500,000 people are taking part in the parade. |
| This is the second year in a row that Fidel Castro, now 81, has not been present. | This is the second year in a row that Fidel Castro, now 81, has not been present. |
| He stepped down after failing to fully recover from a series of emergency operations. | He stepped down after failing to fully recover from a series of emergency operations. |
| There are portraits of Marx, Engels and Lenin in Revolution Square, but many here believe that Raul Castro may be moving away from communist orthodoxy, at least as far as the economy is concerned, our correspondent says. | |
| Raul Castro has already started to encourage private enterprise in agriculture. | Raul Castro has already started to encourage private enterprise in agriculture. |
| He also appears to be trying to create a softer, less restricted system and in recent weeks he has lifted bans on owning mobile phones and allowed Cubans to stay in the same hotels as foreigners. | He also appears to be trying to create a softer, less restricted system and in recent weeks he has lifted bans on owning mobile phones and allowed Cubans to stay in the same hotels as foreigners. |
| Havana has survived more than 40 years of US sanctions intended to topple Fidel Castro. | Havana has survived more than 40 years of US sanctions intended to topple Fidel Castro. |
| Do you live in Havana? Did you attend the rally? Send us your pictures and comments using the form below: | Do you live in Havana? Did you attend the rally? Send us your pictures and comments using the form below: |
| Send your pictures to yourpics@bbc.co.uk, text them to +44 7725 100 100 or you have a large file you can upload here. Read the terms and conditions | Send your pictures to yourpics@bbc.co.uk, text them to +44 7725 100 100 or you have a large file you can upload here. Read the terms and conditions |
| At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. | At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. |