​Thousands of young Cubans marched Wednesday night to mark the 163rd anniversary of the birth of independence hero Jose Marti. The annual March of the Torches flooded central Havana with rally-goers, including President Raul Castro and former presidents Leonel Fernandez of the Dominican Republic and Jose Mujica of Uruguay, whose wife, Senator Lucia Topolansky, accompanied him.

International brigades also joined the rally, including more than 200 activists from Argentina, Brazil and Chile. In total 23 brigades from across Latin America attended.

Marti was a symbol for Cuban resistance to Spain in the late 19th Century, and today is revered as a national hero. Throughout his life, Marti repeatedly called for unity among the Cuban people in the struggle against Spanish and U.S. imperialism. He advocated for the creation of an independent government based on the close collaboration of all social classes rather than the struggle of one class against the other. Check out the pictures from past years’ rallies.