Cuba has been celebrating the 55th anniversary of its revolution in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba.

A mixture of music and speeches marked the day when, in 1959, Cuba’s former leader Fidel Castro declared victory in the city before moving on to Havana.

The old dictator Fulgencio Batista had previously fled the island nation to avoid being directly overthrown by the revolutionaries.

Castro’s brother Raul, who is now in charge, said the revolution had transformed the country for the better, although Human Rights Watch describes Cuba as being ruled by a regime that “represses virtually all forms of political dissent”.

Fidel Castro, 87, did not attend the commemoration ceremony.