Mexico fines Sheraton Hotels for obeying blockade law
Campaign News | Saturday, 25 March 2006
US chain has to pay $120,000
Mexico, Mar 25 (Prensa Latina) The Mexican government fined the Maria Isabel Sheraton Hotel $120,000 for evicting a 16-strong Cuban delegation February 3.
Cuban officials and businesspeople had come to Mexico for a meeting with representatives from US oil companies interested in exploring the island?s energy market.
But the hotel evicted them after it was threatened with action from the US government for infringing extra-territorial aspects of the blockade.
In a release, the Mexican Foreign Ministry said the fine was for violating the national act to Protect Trade and Investment from Foreign Norms that Contravene International Law, passed October 1996 in order to oppose the Helms-Burton extraterritorial law.
The management of the Sheraton Hotel, owned by American chain Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, expelled the Cubans and seized their money by order of the US administration.
The incident unleashed a string of national indignation and protests.
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