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Supreme Court sides with US company in claims over property seized in Cuban revolution
The 8-1 ruling reinstates more than $440 million in judgments and lets Havana Docks continue its Helms-Burton Act claims against four cruise operators.
On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court revived claims against four cruise lines—Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and MSC Cruises—for allegedly using Havana docks confiscated by Fidel Castro's government in 1959.
Havana Docks filed suit under the 1996 Helms-Burton Act after cruise operators utilized the terminal between 2016 and 2019, following President Barack Obama's decision to ease travel restrictions on Cuba.
The justices set aside an appeals court decision in an 8-1 ruling, reviving combined judgments of $440 million against the four cruise operators.
Justice Elena Kagan dissented, arguing the decision allows plaintiffs to recover for property that was never theirs, as the case returns to the appeals court.
The decision coincides with heightened pressure on Cuba from President Donald Trump's administration, including the recent indictment of former Cuban President Raúl Castro and pending ExxonMobil litigation.