Hundreds of Cuban nationals gathered in the streets of central Havana on Saturday to protest homophobia and demand the introduction of same-sex marriage.

Waving the Cuban flag and rainbow banners, protesters chanted "revolution yes, homophobia no" as they marched down the seaside promenade of Malecon.

Mariela Castro, LGBT activist and daughter of Cuban President Raul Castro, joined the protesters, saying that a proposal to legalize same-sex marriage has been under discussion for years and could be introduced at the next Communist Party congress.

Mariela Castro, who heads the National Center for Sexual Education, said the government needed to do more for the LGBT community, given its history of persecution.

From the 1959 revolution that marked the country's seismic transformation to a communist nation through to the early 1980s, gays and lesbians were considered deviants, routinely rounded up and forced to work in labor camps.

Mariela Castro, one of Cuba's most visible LGBT activists, joined the protesters to call for more rights

'Most important thing'

The demonstration also marked the 10th anniversary of the Cuban Conference against Homophobia and Transphobia, which has pushed the government to officially recognize the LGBT community and secure its rights.

Francisco Rodriguez, LGBT activist and journalist at the state-owned newspaper Trabajadores, said while several issues still needed to be addressed, progress had been made over the past decade.

"Perhaps the most important thing that has been achieved in these 10 years is to make the public aware of the issue, and also to ensure that it is no longer politically correct in Cuba to be homophobic or transphobic," Rodriguez said.

In 2010, former Cuban President Fidel Castro, who led the country's revolution, described the repression of the LGBT community under his watch as a "great injustice."

After Castro: A snapshot from Cuba Afternoon on the Prado Promenade At the Paseo del Prado, beside the central square, hotels line the streets. El Capitolio, the seat of the government until the Cuban Revolution in 1959, has now become a place for social gatherings, where Cubans meet each other to exchange gossip and play games.

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After Castro: A snapshot from Cuba Cuba rising Across Havana, buildings are being renovated to make way for the return of American tourism. As the government authorizes certain private business, hotels and restaurants are leading the construction boom. This building will be a group of "casas particulieres," similar to a bed and breakfast, in the Vedado neighborhood. Cubans need to apply for a license to rent rooms in their homes to foreigners.

After Castro: A snapshot from Cuba The reader Francisco Arrosa, 75, reads Granma, the Communist Party newspaper, as he waits for new clients. "We are socialists. What Fidel and the Revolution started, the Cuban people will keep," the car mechanic said. "We may not be wealthy, but every Cuban has access to food, education, healthcare, and housing. These things are the revolution."

After Castro: A snapshot from Cuba Havana for beginners Tourists take photos from an old American car driving through Plaza Central. With the decades-long US embargo, vehicles from the 1950s and 1960s were the only option for Cubans for many years. Now, Korean, Chinese, and some European brands are entering the island's market. The old cars continue to be used as taxis or for tourism.

After Castro: A snapshot from Cuba The internet generation Along one of Havana's most popular boardwalks, Cubans can check their e-mail or read government-approved websites. In 2015, the Cuban government opened the first public wi-fi hotspots in 35 public locations. However, the internet is one of the most censored in the world and essentially unavailable in private homes.

After Castro: A snapshot from Cuba Keeping the story alive Canadians make up the largest percentage of Cuba's tourists, but with the resumption of flights and cruise ships from the US, the number of US visitors is expected to surge this year.

After Castro: A snapshot from Cuba Fishermen of Malacon As an island nation, fishing plays an important role in Cuban culture, including in its cuisine. Generation after generation have made their livelihood on the practice and fish is one of Cuba's biggest exports. US tourism companies already have their eyes on the country's pristine coastal waters. Author: Mauro Pimentel, Kait Bolongaro



ls/cmk (EFE, dpa)