U.S. to allow lawsuits against foreign firms in Cuba

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that the United States on May 2 would lift a ban on U.S. lawsuits against foreign firms operating on the property in Cuba seized from Americans.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a news conference at the State Department in Washington, Wednesday, April 17, 2019. [Photo: AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais]

The Trump administration will no longer suspend Title III of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act on May 2, Pompeo said at a news conference, adding he has informed Congress about the decision.

The LIBERTAD Act, which became effective in 1996, is a U.S. federal law which aims to strengthen the embargo against Cuba.

The Title III of the act authorizes U.S. nationals with claims to confiscated property in Cuba to file suit in U.S. courts against persons that may be "trafficking" in that property. But since 1996, successive U.S. presidents have exercised the authority to suspend the lawsuits provisions.

In response to the intensification of U.S. pressure on Cuba, the European Union on Wednesday warned the United States against potential moves that would impact European interests in Cuba.