Title III and the game of chicken the U.S. is playing

By Álvaro Fernández Last updated Apr 4, 2019


The Trump administration continues to demonstrate how little they understand Cuba. And Marco Rubio, John Bolton, Elliott Abrams et al are using the opportunity to advance their own causes.

On Wednesday, April 3, Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo announced his decision to continue for two weeks, from April 18 through May 1, 2019, the current suspension with an exception of the right to bring an action under Title III of the 1996 Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act —also known as Helms-Burton. The current suspension expires April 17.

The move, reports the Miami Herald, “increases pressure on companies — primarily from Spain, Canada and the United States … [that] could potentially be sued for ‘trafficking’ in properties confiscated by the Cuban government as much as 60 years ago.”

This game being played by the U.S. — the threat of Title III implementation — is a pandora’s box that if opened could lead to more chaos than already exists between the U.S., Cuba, and the rest of the world. As Progreso Weekly columnist Jesus Arboleya wrote in a recent column, “Putting Chapter III into full force would entail reviving … contradictions and adding them to the growing conflicts between the United States and Europe.”

More:
https://progresoweekly.us/title-iii-and-the-game-of-chicken-the-u-s-is-playing/