Cuba leader denies repression, says blackouts and US embargo led to massive protests

Without making any acknowledgment of the deep discontent with his government shown by protesters chanting “down with the dictatorship” across the island on Sunday, Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel said Monday the massive uprisings were the “cumulative” result of U.S. policies. He said the majority of people participating in the huge protests across the island Sunday, which he referred to as “events” and “provocations” rather than protests, were unhappy with the power blackouts proliferating during the hot Cuban summer and the lack of food and other necessities, all because of the U.S. embargo. D...