Cubans march in Havan in pro-government show

April 21, 1980

Some 1. 5 million Cubans marched past the Peruvian Embassy in Havana this weekend in the biggest pro-government demonstration since President Fidel Castro came to power two decades ago. The parade, which went off without incident, was staged to demonstrate to the world that only a tiny minority was unhappy under Cuba's Communist government.

Of the more than 10,000 dissatisfied Cubans who invaded the mission after Cuban authorities withdrew their armed guards, about 8,000 went to wait at home after receiving passports and exit visas. Another 800 have been flown to Costa Rica, Peru, and Spain, leaving about 2,000 inside the compound.