Cuba's economy needs "urgent changes" to overcome a major crisis intensified by a US oil blockade, President Miguel Diaz-Canel said in a speech to Communist Party leaders broadcast on Thursday.

El presidente de Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, anunció un amplio paquete de reformas económica para responder a "las exigencias de los tiempos actuales".

Cuba's communist leaders were set to meet Wednesday to discuss plans to revive the collapsing economy in the face of a devastating US blockade.