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HAVANA -- An estimated 600,000 residents of Cuba's capital marched through Revolution Square on May Day morning in an "expression of support for our revolution and our historic leaders," according to top trade unionist Ulises Guilarte De Nacimiento.

Millions more paraded in other cities across the island.

Cuba's president, Raul Castro, attends a May Day parade in Havana May 1, 2014.

Reuters/Enrique De La Osa

A cheerful-looking President Raul Castro, shielded from the sun by a wide-brimmed straw hat, waved to marchers and chatted with the other top Cuban leaders gathered on the stage.

As usual, the only speaker of the day was the head of the Trade Union Confederation. Guilarte briefly rallied marchers in support of "sustainable socialism," denounced the U.S. economic embargo against the island and voiced backing for Latin American integration, particularly support for the besieged Venezuelan government of Nicolas Maduro.

The newly appointed labor chief, Guilarte is much younger and has more experience in the economic reforms being unrolled by the government than his predecessors.

He was previously Communist Party leader in the province where the new economic zone and deep-water port of Mariel is located and where the first non-agricultural cooperatives were established. Mariel is one of the locations to which Cuba hopes to attract foreign investment as it seeks the resources needed to boost faltering economic growth.

30 Photos

Images from May day activities in Ukraine, Turkey, Spain, Philippines, Bangladesh and more.

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Cubans rally for "sustainable socialism" on May Day