US Supreme Court OKs ExxonMobil lawsuit over Castro-era property seizure
Summary
The US Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that ExxonMobil can sue Cuban state-owned companies in US courts for property seized by Cuba after Fidel Castro came to power. This decision applies a 1996 law that removes legal protections usually given to foreign governments, allowing lawsuits over Cuban confiscated property.Key Facts
- ExxonMobil is suing Cuban companies for property taken after Castro’s rise to power more than 65 years ago.
- The Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision reversed a lower court ruling that had protected Cuban companies from US lawsuits.
- The court said the Helms-Burton Act of 1996 removes “sovereign immunity” for Cuban agencies, allowing private lawsuits in US courts.
- Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote the majority opinion supporting ExxonMobil’s case.
- Justice Elena Kagan and two other liberal justices dissented, arguing the law does not clearly remove immunity.
- The seized property includes over 100 gas stations and an oil refinery once owned by ExxonMobil’s predecessor.
- The decision aligns with President Donald Trump’s administration policy to pressure Cuba by enforcing the Helms-Burton Act.
- A 1969 US commission valued ExxonMobil’s lost Cuban property at about $71.6 million plus interest, which would be worth around $3 billion today.
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