Trump Asked to Prioritize Compensations in his Cuba Policy

Trump is expected to shortly announce how his administration will act with regard to Cuba after a long revision of his predecessor Barack Obama’s policies.

By Cubaencuentro

HAVANA TIMES — Republican senator Marco Rubio and Democrat senator Bill Nelson have asked the Trump administration to give priority to compensation to US citizens who lost assets when Fidel Castro nationalized these at the onset of the Revolution.

In a letter sent to Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, and Treasury Secretary, Steve Mnuchin, which EFE news agency had access to on Tuesday, the abovementioned senators dwelled on the fact that companies run by the Cuban government have benefitted from assets that belong to US citizens.

“The U.S. Foreign Claims Settlement Commission (FCSC) has certified more than 5,900 claims against the Cuban Government for stolen property. These claims — now valued at approximately $8 billion — remain unresolved,” pointed out the senators.

“While the Cuban Government has manufactured ridiculous counter-claims to avoid responsibility, we urge you to seek fair compensation on behalf of these Americans as soon as possible,” these congressmen added.

To that end, these senators pressed the Trump Administration to work with Congress to develop “a plan and timeline to resolve these claims, as well as to instruct the FCSC to undertake a third Cuban Claims Program in order to allow possible new claimants.”

“Furthermore, we are writing to express our concern over the January 2016 decision allowing Cubaexport – a company run by the Cuban government – to renew its illegitimate claim on the trademark for “Havana Club” rum,” they added.

The legislators are claiming that Cubaexport registered the trademark for Havana Club in the United States “only after the Cuban Government stole the trademark from its original owners.”

Trump is expected to shortly announce how his administration’s policy with regard to Cuba after a long revision of the policies his predecessor, Barack Obama, put in place after he reestablished diplomatic relations with Cuba in December 2014 after over half a century of rupture.