Thousands of Cubans gathered in front of the US Embassy on Friday to protest Washington's prevailing trade sanctions.

The demonstration, led by President Miguel Diaz-Canel and ex-leader Raul Castro, comes a few weeks before Donald Trump is set to begin his second term as the US president.

Protesters chanted "down with the blockade" and "we will never surrender" as they waved Cuban flags.

"We are marching now to tell the US government to let the Cuban people live in peace. Down with interference!" Diaz-Canel told the protesting crowd.

Friday's protest was the first to take place in a decade in front of the US Embassy, perhaps signalling a more combative position from the Caribbean island nation ahead of Trump's second term.

US sanctions to blame for poor Cuban economy?

Cubans have for a long time resisted the sanctions that were first imposed in 1962, a few months before the Cuban Missile Crisis during the Cold War.

They have criticized Biden over his failure to revoke the stricter restrictions imposed by Trump during his administration.

The government blames the US sanctions for the economic crisis plaguing Cuba.

"If we didn't have the blockade, we would not be facing difficulty like this," said 85-year-old retiree Faustino Miranda.

Former president Castro, despite being aged 93, took the lead in the protest along with Diaz-Canel, who earlier on Friday had blamed the US embargo for making this year "one of the most difficult" for Cuba.

"Biden in a disciplined and cruel manner complied with the policy that Trump approved during his mandate," Diaz-Canel said.

Diaz-Canel also urged Biden to undo Trump's decision to designate Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, a move that has impacted its engagement in international financial transactions.

mfi/msh (Reuters, AFP)