Supreme Court backs U.S. company in Cuban property case

Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 8-1 in favor of a U.S. company whose docks in Havana were seized by Fidel Castro’s government more than 65 years ago. The case involves Havana Docks suing four major cruise lines—Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and msc—for using the confiscated property during the Obama-era opening to Cuba. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the majority opinion. He said the cruise lines used property that still legally belongs to the American company under the Helms-Burton Act. The ruling sends the case back to a lower court and strengthens claims by Americans against companies that benefit from property stolen in Cuba’s 1959 revolution. It also gives President Trump more legal and economic tools in his push for regime change in Cuba.