United States Embassy in Cuba. Photo: Fernando Medina/Reuters.
By Elizabeth Naranjo
Among the three measures adopted by the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, a few days before ending his term, is the elimination of the list of restricted Cuban entities that designates a group of institutions with which U.S. citizens and institutions are prohibited from carrying out financial transactions, which has had effects in third countries.
In this regard, the coordinator of the Legal Affairs and Analysis Department of the General Directorate of the United States of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jorge Luis Cepero Aguilar, stated to the press that this decision, together with the other two, even though they are on the right track, “the blockade that is maintained and its normative body continue with the violation of International Law.”
The list of “restricted entities” was disclosed for the first time in November 2017, as part of the measures of the Donald Trump government, in correspondence with the isolation of the largest of the Antilles that the blockade pursues.
In the report of the damages caused by the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States on Cuba, it is stated that, so far, “the first list includes 231 entities or companies, practically the entire Cuban business network; while the second covers 422 hotels and accommodations, that is, almost all hotel facilities.”
It also states that “the provision applies to US citizens, who are prohibited from staying or dealing with the listed entities, but in practice, people from third countries also refrain from coming to Cuba because of the confusion and fear generated by these blacklists.”
Cepero Aguilar pointed out that “this is an example of what Cuba has consistently said, that the blockade is not a bilateral element, but rather has an extraterritorial effect,” and added that, just like Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, this list caused fear to entities from third countries, even though it had nothing to do with the relationship between Cuba and the United States.
He maintained that, based on this list, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) fined those companies that had business with Cuban companies that were restricted, so they could be subjected to scrutiny.
He argued that this caused these foreign entities to prefer to do business with the United States, avoiding violating any norm and, therefore, cutting ties with Cuba. “Once this list was adopted, and more than 230 Cuban entities were included, more than 30 foreign banks immediately cut their relations with Cuba,” he said.
According to the Coordinator of the Department of Legal Affairs and Analysis of the General Directorate of the United States, this is precisely the extraterritorial effect that it supposes and implies the violation of International Law.
(Taken from Granma)
Blockade, Blockade against Cuba, Cuba, Donald Trump, United States, Government, Helms-Burton Act, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX), OFAC, Cuba United States Relations, Terrorism
