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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 3 May 2019

being used to dock cruise said Bob Martinez, the law- Wednesday in Havana,
ships that began travel- yer for both men. "This was marchers carried signs and
ing to Cuba in 2016 under a robbery and what we're chanted slogans denounc-
President Barack Obama's trying to get is compensa- ing the Helms-Burton law.
detente with the island. tion for the illegal use of The law "was an effort to tie
Behn's grandfather, Ameri- these properties." the hands of any president
can William C. Behn, was But for George Fowler, an to improve relations with
president of the compa- attorney who has advised Cuba," Carlos Fernández
ny Havana Docks, which Carnival on Cuban mat- de Cossío, Cuba's director-
owned three docks in the ters, the law provides an general of U.S. affairs, told
capital that were confis- exception for companies The Associated Press in
cated in 1960. Mickael that go to Cuba legally, Washington.
Behn, a television execu- like the cruise lines. For that "No doubt that there will be
tive who lives between reason, he said, the Helms- a threatening effect that
Miami and London, says Burton law does not apply will inhibit some investors of
In this Nov. 29, 2016 file photo, a cruise ship enters the port in he is suing Carnival Cruise to them. going to Cuba.
Havana, Cuba. Corporation for up to three "I don't think the lawsuits We cannot ignore that that
Associated Press times the current value of are going to go very far," will occur," he said. "It will
the docks, as permitted un- said Fowler, who also is perhaps have an impact
CUBA even hundreds of lawsuits, der the law. vice-chairman of the Cu- on the living standards, the
Continued from Front along with trade fights be- Bengochea, a neurosur- ban-American National living conditions, of com-
The law contains excep- tween the U.S. on one side geon who lives in northeast Foundation, a Cuban ex- mon Cubans ... It will dam-
tions for residential proper- and countries including Florida, owns 80 percent ile organization. "It is all age perhaps the relation-
ties, properties worth less Spain, France and Britain of the shares of the confis- about money," he said af- ship of the United States
than $50,000 and proper- on the other. cated Cuban company La ter explaining that Carnival and Cuba more than it is
ties linked to travel to Cuba Behn and Garcia Bengo- Marítima, which operated agrees with him. today."
deemed legal under U.S. chea, who filed cases in the port of Santiago de During the Obama admin- On Thursday, the European
law. federal court in Miami, are Cuba. He is suing for up to istration, the cruise compa- Union also said it could file
Its activation, however, the heirs of families that $20 million. nies were issued licenses by a World Trade Organization
could generate dozens or owned ports which are now "We want to get justice," the Treasury Department to lawsuit or levy its own sanc-
carry American passengers tions against U.S. entities
to Cuba. that sue under Title III.
Other potential major tar- "The EU sees the extraterri-
gets include Spanish hotel torial application of unilat-
chains Meliá and Iberostar, eral restrictive measures as
Pernod Ricard of France, violating international law,
and other U.S. cruise lines and will take all appropri-
that dock at ports confis- ate measures," the EU said
cated from U.S. residents." in a statement.
Lawyers and potential Others, however, celebrat-
plaintiffs say they expect ed the first lawsuits.
only a trickle of lawsuits at Orlando Gutiérrez Boronat,
first due to the expense from the exile group Cuban
and complexity of filing liti- Democratic Directorate,
gation under a law that is said that the lawsuits have
being put into effect for the a clear message.
first time and touches on is- "Everyone who wants to in-
sues of international trade vest in Cuba will have to go
and sovereignty. to federal court," he said
Suing is also expensive, with after a press conference
initial filing fees of more in front of the downtown
than $6,500 a case, and court where the suits were
there is the difficulty and filed.
expense of proving owner- Beltrán said her family had
ship with old Cuban docu- 860 acres (348 hectares)
ments. of sugar fields and 1,300
For its part, Cuba fears it's acres (526 hectares) of
already lagging levels of tobacco in western Pinar
foreign investment could del Rio province. She has
be permanently crippled no idea if she will be able
as a result of the activa- to sue a foreign corpora-
tion of the provision. At a tion doing business related
Cuban government-or- to her properties, but she is
ganized May Day parade optimistic.q