Cuba unrest blamed on US 'suffocation'

Havana blamed a US "policy of economic suffocation" for unprecedented protests against Cuba's communist government, as Washington pointed the finger at "decades of repression" in the one-party state.

The longtime foes traded barbs a day after thousands of Cubans who took to the streets chanting "Down with the dictatorship" in protests were dispersed by police, with dozens arrested.

The anti-government rallies erupted in several cities as the country endures its worst economic crisis in 30 years, with chronic shortages of electricity, food and medicine and a recent worsening of the coronavirus epidemic.

President Miguel Diaz-Canel blamed the discontent on the United States pursuing a "policy of economic suffocation to provoke social unrest."

In a statement, US President Joe Biden expressed support for the protesters' demand for relief "from the decades of repression and economic suffering."

Cuba has been under US sanctions since 1962.

The EU and UN called for Cuba to respect freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.