UK urged to speak out as Donald Trump 'attempts starvation of Cuba'
The National | Friday, 13 February 2026 | Click here for original article
Roz Foyer, General Secretary STUC
SCOTLAND’S top trade unionist has warned the UK Government that it must oppose Donald Trump’s “deliberate attempt to force mass starvation on an innocent population”. The intervention from Roz Foyer, the secretary-general of the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), which represents more than 500,000 Scots workers, comes after the US president threatened tariffs on any country selling or providing oil to Cuba, prompting the island to ration energy. Cuba relied heavily on oil shipments from Venezuela that were halted when the US attacked the South American country in early January and arrested its leader. Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel has called Trump’s threats an “energy blockade” and said it affects transportation, hospitals, schools, tourism, and the production of food. The nation has experienced severe blackouts, been forced to reduce bank hours, suspend cultural events, and ration fuel sales. On Thursday, Mexico sent two navy ships of humanitarian aid to alleviate the situation, including 536 tons of food and hygiene items, and 277 tons of powdered milk. Foyer has written to the Foreign Secretary asking her to speak out in condemnation against Trump’s measures against Cuba. The STUC general secretary told The National: “These new sanctions from the US government are a deliberate attempt to force mass starvation on an innocent population. “Collective punishment, as we know, is a crime under international law. No one, not even the president of the United States is above it. “The UK Government shouldn’t kowtow to his will whilst he continues his latest imperialist tirade.” Foyer went on: “We’ve made clear to the Foreign Secretary that she must take the lead and show the UK Government’s unequivocal support for the people of Cuba. “The trade union movement will continue to do so and reject the punitive, vindictive sanctions from the US government which will do little more than strengthen the resolve of the Cuban people in the face of such aggression.” The Foreign Office has been asked for a response. On Wednesday, it issued a warning against "all but essential travel to Cuba". The Foreign Office notes that Cuba "is experiencing severe and worsening disruption to essential infrastructure, persistent nationwide power outages and fuel shortages", but does not give any indication as to why. The letter comes after the STUC joined Fidel Castro’s grandson, Castro Smirnov, last month at an event organised by the Scottish Cuba Solidarity Campaign. You can read Foyer’s letter to the Foreign Secretary in full here:Dear Foreign Secretary, I am writing on behalf of the Scottish Trades Union Congress to express my grave concern at the escalation of hostilities from the United States on Cuba following the latest executive order issued by president Donald Trump. We believe this action will have severe and deliberate humanitarian consequences for the Cuban people and demands an urgent response from the United Kingdom Government. The executive order dramatically expands sanctions to now target countries that supply oil to Cuba, resulting in a severe, unconscionable impact on the Cuban people. This includes the loss of reliable power to hospitals and essential medical infrastructure, the disruption of life-saving treatments and surgeries, the closure of schools and workplaces and the breakdown of food production, storage and distribution systems. In practical terms, this means the calculated starvation of a nation. The STUC believes policies that knowingly produce such outcomes constitute collective punishment of an entire population. We are also alarmed by the extraterritorial nature of these sanctions. By threatening punitive measures against third countries that trade with Cuba, the United States is attempting to coerce other sovereign nations into enforcing its unilateral blockade. In this context, we urge the UK Government to take immediate and concrete action. Specifically, we call on the Foreign Secretary to: Make formal representations to the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom and to the United States Secretary of State opposing this executive order. Publicly and unequivocally condemn this escalation of sanctions and call for the executive order to be rescinded. Reaffirm the United Kingdom’s opposition to the US blockade of Cuba. The STUC has long supported the people of Cuba. That continues unabated. We believe the United Kingdom Government has both a moral and legal responsibility to oppose measures that escalate humanitarian crises and undermine international law. Yours sincerely, Rozanne Foyer Foyer is one of thousands of people who have added their name to CSC's Urgent Call for Peace and Sovereignty which includes other trade union general secretaries, MPs and public figures.
