US Supreme Court OKs ExxonMobil lawsuit over Castro-era property seizure

The US Supreme Court ruled that ExxonMobil can sue Cuban state-owned companies in US courts over property seized after Fidel Castro's rise to power. This 6-3 decision makes it easier for US companies to seek compensation for assets confiscated by the Cuban government over 65 years ago. The ruling reverses a lower court's decision that granted Cuban state-owned companies immunity from US lawsuits. The Supreme Court found that the 1996 Helms-Burton Act removes this immunity for Cuban agencies and instrumentalities, allowing private suits. This decision could provide the US administration with an additional tool to pressure Cuba.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled 6-3 that ExxonMobil can sue Cuban state-owned companies in American courts for property seized by Fidel Castro's government over 65 years ago. This decision, based on the 1996 Helms-Burton Act, reverses a lower court's ruling that granted immunity to Cuban state-owned companies. ExxonMobil is seeking compensation for assets, including service stations and a refinery, confiscated from its predecessor companies. This ruling follows a similar decision last month that allowed U.S. companies to sue over confiscated Cuban property. The court's decision could provide the Trump administration with an additional means to pressure Cuba, which is already subject to a U.S. oil embargo.