Supreme Court to Hear Cases Over Property Seized by Cuba in 1960

The Supreme Court will hear a lawsuit filed in 2019 by the Havana Docks Company seeking compensation for port facilities seized by revolutionaries in 1960. The case is part of a pair of disputes — including one from Exxon Mobil over confiscated oil and gas assets — that were enabled after the Trump administration revived a 1996 law permitting Americans to sue over the “trafficking” of property taken by the Cuban government.

At issue are narrow legal questions about whether Americans can recover in U.S. courts from entities that now hold or profit from expropriated Cuban property, but the outcome could also affect U.S.-Cuba relations. Justice Department lawyers urged the court to uphold the suits as a tool to deter private actors from exploiting seized assets and to increase economic pressure on Cuba.

The cruise lines involved say they acted under the Obama administration’s 2016 reopening of travel and contend they should not be liable for docking at Havana.

United States, Havana

supreme court, havana docks, cuban property, exxon mobil, 1960 seizure, 1996 law, trafficking statute, trump administration, justice department, cruise lines