In 2022, a federal judge in Miami ruled in favor of a $400 million lawsuit against four cruise lines for their use of docks in Cuba to conduct "prohibited tourism." This decision affects the companies that operated cruises to the Island between 2015 and 2019.
According to the ruling, these cruise lines violated U.S. law by using Cuban ports as part of their itineraries, which is considered a form of economic support for the Cuban regime. The use of such facilities by cruise companies was prohibited by the Trump administration in 2019.
The ruling highlights that the participation of these cruise lines in tourist activities in Cuba had a direct economic impact on the Cuban government, thereby violating existing U.S. regulations. The plaintiffs argued that by operating in Cuba, the companies were contributing to the sustainability of the dictatorship.
"This ruling sends a clear message that the United States will not tolerate activities that support repressive regimes like that of Cuba," stated the plaintiffs' attorney. The ruling represents a milestone in measures to restrict tourism and trade with Cuba, setting an important precedent in the bilateral relations between the two countries.
