New York, 23 September 2019. The main example of the implementation and tightening of the U.S. blockade against Cuba has been the decision of the U.S. Department of State, dated 17 April 2019, to permit the lawsuits conceived by Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, which came into force in 1996, also known as the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act. All this despite the opposition from members of Congress -including Republican members-, the business sector, different organizations, and U.S. public opinion which support mutually beneficial economic and trade relations with Cuba.
The Helms-Burton Act codified the blockade against Cuba and strengthened its extraterritorial scope. In addition to pursuing the imposition of a government in Cuba that would be directly subordinated to the interests of Washington, this act sought to internationalize the blockade by means of coercive measures against third countries, in order to hamper their trade and investment relations with Cuba.
In fact, with the apparent desire of demanding compensation or allowing lawsuits to be filed on U.S. properties nationalized in Cuba, it really presents itself against foreign investment and the island’s economic growth.
Their aims are unlawful and contrary to international law and the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations, including the rules of the multilateral trading system.
So far, concrete examples of the implementation of this title of the Helms-Burton Act have been recorded, such as the suits filed against the Carnival Cruise Line before the Florida Southern District Court (Miami), alleging "traffic" with the Havana Cruise Ship Terminal and the Port of Santiago de Cuba; and the suits filed against the Cuban entities Gran Caribe, CUBANACAN S.A., Grupo de Turismo Gaviota S.A. and foreign companies Trivago (Germany) and Booking.com (Holland) for their operations in Cuban tourist destinations Cayo Coco and Varadero.
(Taken from the website of the Embassy of Cuba to the United Nations).