Cuba's president has blamed the United States for the most widespread unrest in his country for 30 years, accusing Washington of sending mercenaries to foment protest and strangling the country economically.
Thousands took to the streets across Cuba on Sunday in a remarkable show of defiance against the government.
Protesters, some waving U.S. flags, called for democracy and chanted: 'Freedom!'
On Monday the president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, addressed the nation and pointed the finger directly at the United States.
Diaz-Canel criticized U.S. 'politics of economic asphyxiation' toward the island nation - referencing the embargo which has stood since 1962.
Miguel Diaz-Canel, president of Cuba since 2019, on Monday addressed the nation and blamed the U.S. embargo for causing the protests that flared up on Sunday
State television showed Diaz-Canel in Havana on Monday leading a meeting of the council of ministers. The 61-year-old said the U.S. was strangling the island and forcing the people into poverty
'Is it not very hypocritical and cynical that you block me, and you want to present yourself as the big savior?' Diaz-Canel said, according to Reuters.
'Lift the blockade and then we will see what this people, that has achieved an immense social work despite what is practically a war economy, is capable of.'
The Cuban president also alleged that mercenaries hired by the U.S. intentionally manufactured the anti-government protests to destabilize Cuba, the BBC reported.
Diaz-Canel, 61, serves as first secretary of Cuba's Communist Party in addition to being the country's president.
He was named president in 2019, and in April took over as first secretary - a powerful role that previously had been filled by only Fidel Castro, who died in 2016, and his brother Raul Castro, now 90.
'Who is bothered by the regime, the alleged regime, in Cuba? Who is bothered by the Cuban political system, the way we do things?' Diaz-Canel said.
'Not our people, not the majority of our people, because they are the ones who have built that system.
'Who is bothered? The government of the United States, because they don't see the virtues of this system of government in Cuba that is capable of working with all and working for all.'
In an address to the country on Sunday, Diaz-Canel said: 'We are prepared to do anything. We will be battling in the streets.'
Cuban officers in riot gear arrest a protester in Arroyo Naranjo Municipality, Havana, on Monday
Riot police in Arroyo Naranjo, Havana, take away another demonstrator on Monday
Cubans take part in a demonstration in support of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel's government in Arroyo Naranjo Municipality, Havana on Monday
Riot police are seen marching through the streets in Arroyo Naranjo, Havana, on Monday
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador backed Diaz-Canel's position, in a show of support that was expected from the veteran Leftist leader.
Lopez Obrador said at a press conference that 'the truth is that if one wanted to help Cuba, the first thing that should be done is to suspend the blockade of Cuba as the majority of countries in the world are asking.'
Barack Obama supported lifting the embargo, and in May 2016 became the first U.S. president in over 80 years to visit the island. Obama argued that it had not achieved its stated aim of bringing about political change.
Donald Trump, however - under pressure from hardline anti-Castro factions in Florida - reversed many of Obama's policies on Cuba, and ushered in further restrictions.
President Joe Biden on Monday said that he stands with the 'remarkable' Cuban protesters and 'their clarion call for freedom'.
Anthony Blinken, the Secretary of State, rejected Diaz-Canel's accusation that the U.S. was to blame for the protests.
'It would be a grievous mistake for the Cuban regime to interpret what is happening in dozens of towns and cities [across Cuba] as a result or product of anything the United States has done,' he said.
Biden told a meeting at the White House: 'The Cuban people are demanding their freedom from an authoritarian regime.
'I don't think we've seen anything like these protests in a long long time if, quite frankly ever.
'The US stands firmly with the people of Cuba as they assert their universal rights. And we call on the government of Cuba to refrain from violence in their attempt to silence the voices of the people of Cuba.'
Cuban Americans in Miami on Monday are seen calling for an end to the communist one-party rule in Cuba
Miami on Monday saw hundreds of Cuban Americans take to the streets in support of their relatives back in Cuba
Miami's Calle Ocho, center of the Cuban American community, was the scene of a car rally in support of Cuban freedom on Monday
A woman waves the Cuban flag from her car as it drives through Miami on Monday
Several people with Cuban flags remain outside the national headquarters of the Union of Young Communists (UJC), in Havana on Monday
A woman hangs a Cuban flag from her balcony in Havana on Monday
Protesters on Monday in the Little Havana district of Miami. Havana itself was quiet on Monday, after thousands took to the streets on Sunday
Little Havana in Miami saw crowds of anti-Castro demonstrators take to the streets on Monday, in solidarity with their Cuban relatives back on the island
On Monday the Versailles restaurant in Little Havana, Miami, was once again the scene of protest. Hundreds had gathered at the popular Cuban restaurant on Sunday
In a statement earlier, Biden had said: 'We stand with the Cuban people and their clarion call for freedom and relief from the tragic grip of the pandemic and from the decades of repression and economic suffering to which they have been subjected by Cuba's authoritarian regime.'
He said the protests represented the Cuban people 'asserting fundamental and universal rights.'
'Those rights, including the right of peaceful protest and the right to freely determine their own future, must be respected,' the president continued.
'The United States calls on the Cuban regime to hear their people and serve their needs at this vital moment rather than enriching themselves,' Biden added.
Biden's statements come after Republicans tweeted in support of the Cuban protesters and ridiculed a State Department official for saying the demonstrations were inspired by a spike in COVID-19 cases.
In the U.S., Miami Mayor Francis Suarez appeared at a demonstration in the Little Havana district, where hundreds gathered outside the famous Cuban Versailles restaurant to denounce the Communist regime on the island.
'Cubans are worthy and ready to rule themselves without tyranny,' Suarez said on Sunday.
'It can end today and it must end today. The implications of this moment can mean freedom for millions of people in the hemisphere, from Nicaraguans and Venezuelans and so many more.'
The images of protests in Cuba that have gone viral on social media prompted officials in the United States to call for an American-led intervention to topple the ruling government in Havana.
Cubans marched on Havana's Malecon promenade and elsewhere on the island to protest food shortages and soaring inflation, which some economists believe could hit 900 per cent this year.
Thousands of Cubans took part in rare protests Sunday against the Communist government, marching through a town chanting 'Down with the dictatorship' and 'We want liberty.' The image above shows Cubans in Havana on Sunday
President Joe Biden said Monday that he stands with the 'remarkable' Cuban protesters and 'their clarion call for freedom' amid demonstrations that brought thousands to the streets from Havana to Santiago on Sunday
People ride a tricycle near graffiti reading 'Defending Socialism' in Havana on Monday
Havana's streets were quiet on Monday after thousands took part Sunday in rare protests in Cuba chanting 'down with the dictatorship'
Police tape is seen around the National Capitol Building in Havana, Cuba on Monday, a day after thousands of Cubans marched in the street against the government
A man holds a sign saying 'Biden Help Cuba' in protests in Miami, Florida on Sunday
Demonstrators gather in Miami, Florida on Sunday to protest in solidarity with the Cuban people
Demonstrators outside the White House Monday show off the Cuban flag joining thousands over the weekend that protested in solidarity with the Cuban people
A woman holds a sign ordering 'Castros Out' as demonstrators march on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House in Washington Monday
Many young people took part in the afternoon protest in the capital, which disrupted traffic until police moved in after several hours and broke up the march when a few protesters threw rocks.
Special forces vehicles, with machine guns mounted on the back, were seen throughout the capital and the police presence was heavy even long after most protesters had gone home by the 9pm curfew in place due to the pandemic.
Police initially trailed behind as protesters chanted 'Freedom,' 'Enough' and 'Unite.'
One motorcyclist pulled out a US flag, but it was snatched from him by others.
Cuba is going through one of its worst economic crisis since the fall of the Soviet Union, along with a resurgence of coronavirus cases, as it suffers the consequences of U.S. sanctions imposed by the Trump administration.
'There's every indication that yesterday's protests were spontaneous expressions of people who are exhausted with the Cuban government's economic mismanagement and repression,' press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday.
'And these are protests inspired by the harsh realities of everyday life in Cuba, not people in another country - I'm saying that because I think there have been a range of accusations out there.'
A man is arrested during a demonstration against the government of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel in Havana on Sunday
Security forces loyal to the government detain a protester in Havana, Cuba, on Sunday
Demonstrators are seen above protesting on the streets of Havana on Sunday
Hundreds of Cuban emigres gathered in the Little Havana section of Miami to stage a protest in solidarity with anti-government demonstrators on the island
Singer Yotuel Romero addresses protesters gathered in front of the Versailles restaurant in Miami as they show support for the people in Cuba who have taken to the streets to protest
A man is arrested during a demonstration against the government of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel in Havana on Sunday
Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Texas Republican, was also critical of the State Department tweet
The US State Department was criticized for a tweet on Sunday claiming that the protests in Cuba were in reaction to 'rising COVID cases'.
'Peaceful protests are growing in Cuba as the Cuban people exercise their right to peaceful assembly to express concern about rising COVID case/deaths & medicine shortage. We commend the numerous efforts of the Cuban people mobilizing donations to help neighbors,' tweeted Julie Chung, the acting assistant secretary for the department's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.
Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, was among those ridiculing the tweet, calling it 'ridiculous' and saying that Cubans 'are protesting 62 years of socialism, lies, tyranny & misery.'
Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Texas Republican, also disagreed with the tweet.
'No they're chanting LIBERTAD. Stop playing cover for communists and support the Cuban people. My god. Why is that so hard for you,' Crenshaw wrote.
When asked about Chung's tweet at Monday's White House press briefing, press secretary Jen Psaki pointed out first that the protests 'were just happening yesterday.'
'We're still assessing what is motivating and of course is driving all these individuals who came to the streets,' she said.
Psaki said that the way the Cuban people are governed they could be discontent about a number of things including 'economic suppression, media suppression, lack of access to health and medical supplies, including vaccines - there are a range of reasons and voices we're hearing from people on the ground who are protesting.'
Fox News' Peter Doocy pointed out that most of the protesters are 'yelling freedom' and again asked how that could be interpreted as a demonstration against rising COVID cases.
'Again I would say that when people are out there in the streets protesting and complaining about the lack of access to economic prosperity, to the medical supplies that they need, to a life they deserve to live - that can take on a range of meanings,' Psaki said.
'There's a global pandemic right now. Most people in that country don't have access to vaccines. That's certainly something we'd love to help with.'
Other lawmakers simply tweeted in support of the Cuban people.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, encouraged the Biden administration to get involved.
'President Biden, freedom in #Cuba needs you now!' he wrote. 'Don't be AWOL.'
House Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, a Republican who represents the Miami area, said the protests were the 'beginning of the end' of the Communist regime and that a 'perfect storm' presented an opportunity for the government to be toppled.
House Rep. Ruben Gallego, a Democrat from Arizona, tweeted: 'It's time for the Cuban regime to step down and let Democracy flourish in Cuba.'
Rubio tweeted: 'I am asking [President Joe Biden] and [Secretary of State Antony Blinken] to call on members of the Cuban military to not fire on their own people.
'The incompetent communist party of #Cuba cannot feed or protect the people from the virus.
'Now those in the military must defend the people not the communist party.'
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, also a Republican, tweeted: 'Florida supports the people of Cuba as they take to the streets against the tyrannical regime in Havana.
'The Cuban dictatorship has repressed the people of Cuba for decades & is now trying to silence those who have the courage to speak out against its disastrous policies.'
Another prominent Republican, Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota, tweeted: 'The human heart wants to be free. This is as true in Cuba as it is in America.
'I stand with my friend Senator Rubio and all Cubans looking to throw off the yoke of Communism and join the free world.'
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California tweeted: 'After decades of suffering through a communist dictatorship, the Cuban people deserve liberty.
'I am proud to stand in solidarity with the people of Cuba who are calling out for freedom.'
House Rep. Steve Scalise, a Republican from Louisiana, tweeted: 'America stands with the people of Cuba as they fight for their freedom from a tyrannical government.
'Socialism has failed everywhere it's been tried. We can't let America become another failed socialist experiment.'
Scalise ended the tweet with the hashtags #SOSCuba and #FreedomOverSocialism.'
A pro-government protester is seen during a demonstration against the government of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel in Havana on Sunday
Cuban police detain an anti-government demonstrator during a protest in Havana on Sunday
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel (center) walks accompanied by supporters in San Antonio de los Banos on Sunday
Diaz-Canel called on his supporters to take to the streets as a response to the protest against his government
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