British Solidarity defies the blockade
Trabajadores | Tuesday, 6 January 2026 | Click here for original article
CSC Director Rob Miller with workers at the Jacob's Well warehouse
As the final days of the year approach, a vital shipment is crossing the Atlantic. It's not luxury goods, but essential resources: a container with 23 tons of powdered milk that will soon arrive at the port of Mariel. It's direct support from British workers for families in the eastern provinces severely affected by Hurricane Melissa last October
This shipment marks the culmination of an intense period of action by the Cuba Solidarity Campaign (CSC) in the UK and British trade unions within the framework of the “Cuba Vive” initiative. The alliance has managed five containers of medical supplies, valued at millions of pounds sterling, throughout 2025, a period marked by economic hardship caused by the tightening of the blockade and the impact of weather events exacerbated by the climate crisis. This latest shipment of powdered milk further demonstrates that internationalism is a reality.
Following Hurricane Melissa, which caused significant damage to infrastructure and agriculture in the eastern region, the CSC reacted immediately. In record time, they launched an emergency campaign that mobilized major unions such as UNISON, Unite, NEU, ASLEF, RMT, and many others. The funds raised enabled the purchase of essential food supplies to ensure the food security of children, pregnant women, and the elderly in the affected areas.
Rob Miller, director of the CSC, emphasized the strategic importance of the shipment in the current context: “We hope the donation will bring relief to the Cuban people during this difficult time. The combined threats of hurricanes and the tightening of the US blockade make international solidarity across borders more important than ever to defend sovereignty and life.”
A year of resilience and support
2025 ends as a year in which British solidarity has defied US restrictions. In addition to the five previous shipments, whose supplies of syringes, wheelchairs, surgical equipment, and cancer drugs amount to millions of pounds, there was the political battle waged in the streets and in the British Parliament to demand an end to the US embargo.
The Cuban ambassador to the United Kingdom, Ismara Vargas Walter, expressed her gratitude for the gesture:
“This generous donation comes at a critical time. As we work to recover from the devastation caused by the hurricane, this container will provide essential food to our most vulnerable populations. It represents support that breaks through the suffocating restrictions of the blockade and demonstrates the deep ties between the British and Cuban people.”
When the cranes at Mariel unload their cargo in the coming days, Cuba will be receiving the fruits of the latest effort by thousands of workers from Manchester, Liverpool, and London. Meanwhile, in Washington, they will know that “Cuba Lives and Is Not Alone.”
From the pages of Trabajadores , the Cuban labor movement extends its gratitude. Looking ahead to 2026, the centennial of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro, solidarity is reaffirmed as a fundamental pillar in the relationship between the two peoples.
