Blinken condemns Cuba for 'intimidation' ahead of planned protests

FILE PHOTO: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken looks on during a news conference with Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani following a signing ceremony at the State Department in Washington, DC on November 12 , 2021. Olivier Douliery/Pool via REUTERS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned what he called "intimidation tactics" by the Cuban government ahead of Monday's planned protest march in Cuba and vowed that the United States would pursue measures seeking "accountability" for the crackdown.

Opposition groups have called the march to demand greater political freedoms and the release of jailed activists, following street protests in July, the largest in decades. Cuba's communist government has banned the demonstration, saying it is part of a destabilization campaign by the United States.