Certified Claims Against Cuba Getting New Attention
As the Obama administration moves to improve agriculture shipments, telecom service and direct mail with Cuba, others are lobbying for an equal improvement and consideration of longtime claims against Cuba.
claims against Cuba
These certified claims against Cuba have been languishing while other interactions and financial activity has moved forward. Estimates of money being transferred from those in the U.S. to those in Cuba are as high as $2 billion a year. Informal trade and shipments of products from the U.S. to Cuba may be even higher.
The law and public policy firm of
Poblete Tamargo LLP
has registered yesterday to lobby for Hon. John L. Loeb Jr.on the topic of claims against the government of Cuba. Loeb is a businessman, philanthropist and former U.S. ambassador to Denmark.
There are $1.7 billion in original certified claims against Cuba, and the amount jumps to $7 billion when interest is included. These certified claims are mostly from businesses but there are some from individuals. Even after a Bush administration transition study, there has been little action on the certified claims.
Jason Poblete (formerly with Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Calif., and the House Administration Committee) and Mauricio Tamargo (formerly with Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., and also the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission) are the lobbyists working on educating legislators on the issue.