Viva Cuba!: House of Commons Meeting: Cuba Under Siege Volume 56 Number 8, March 14, 2026 ARCHIVE JBCENTRE Viva Cuba! House of Commons Meeting: "Cuba Under Siege" Aid for Cuba arrives from Mexico - Photo: Granma On March 4, 2026, a public meeting took place in the House of Commons entitled "Cuba Under Siege", organised by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Cuba and the Cuba Solidarity Campaign (CSC). The meeting heard from experts as well as MPs about the escalating US sanctions on Cuba, and discussed what action could be taken in Britain to stand in solidarity with the people of Cuba and oppose the sanctions and aggression. The meeting was very well attended, with the room running out of seats and attendees standing round the edge of the room to fit more people in. The attendees were comprised of a mix of MPs, campaigners, trade unionists, and members of the public. "Cuba Under Siege" was chaired by Steve Witherden MP, who opened by stressing the humanitarian and political gravity of the crisis. He highlighted Early Day Motion (EDM) 2739 [1] as a way for MPs to show opposition to the US measures and encouraged those who had not signed to sign it, and also for other attendees to write to their MPs requesting that they sign the motion. The first main speaker was the Cuban Ambassador to the UK, Ismara Vargas Walter. Her testimony was incredibly powerful, invoking strong emotions. Her description of the humanitarian impact visibly shocked the room: alongside blackouts of up to 20 hours a day, she explained the impact this was having on Cuban hospitals, with doctors having to perform surgeries using only the light of their mobile phones, even on newborn babies. The resilience and strength of the Cuban people continues to be astounding, even in the face of such horrific aggression. The meeting then heard from Dr Emily Morris, an economist and Honorary Senior Research Fellow at University College London's Institute of the Americas (UCLIA), who had just returned from Cuba. She confirmed and reinforced the ambassador's account of the severe conditions caused by fuel, medicine, and food shortages, and warned the room that "people are dying, they're definitely dying". Two MPs then expressed their views. Diane Abbott MP spoke on Cuba's history and the history of US aggression towards the country, such as during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Richard Burgon MP framed the sanctions as part of the wider US strategy, stating the goal is "to bring about hunger, desperation, and overthrow of government". Finally, Bernard Regan, National Secretary of the Cuba Solidarity Campaign, focused on action. He highlighted the practical solidarity already underway, such as the Cuba Vive appeal, which has sent eight shipments of aid. He echoed the ambassador's sentiment, arguing that Cuba's only "threat" is its good example of internationalism. Unfortunately there wasn't an opportunity for questions or statements from those in attendance, but the issue of the urgency of going all out to support Cuba and its people's life and death struggle for their right to be was clear. The people are demonstrating their heroism in safeguarding their independence and resisting attempts to asphyxiate them. The lasting impact of the meeting, particularly the images of the resilience and resourcefulness of the Cuban people in overcoming the effects of the blockade, stayed in the minds of the participants long after the meeting had concluded, inspiring further investigation and determination to give every possible support to Cuba and its people and government. It made clear the human consequences of US imperialism and its economic war on Cuba, and clarified the urgent need for action. The US is engaging in economic violence and warfare against a country whose only crime is daring to chart a socialist path. The Cuban people have an inalienable right to defend their national sovereignty and their chosen path of development. Notes 1. For the text of EDM 2739, see Workers' Weekly , "Defeat the US Attempts to Crush Revolutionary Cuba!", Note 1 Link to Full Issue of Workers' Weekly RCPB(ML) Home Page Workers' Weekly Online Archive