US Gov't Sanctions Fourth Company in 2017 to Worsen Blockade Against Cuba

The US Treasury Department has imposed four fines this year on companies of this country and abroad for alleged violations of the economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba.

The last victim of that policy, which lasted more than 55 years, was the American insurance company American International Group (AIG), whose penalty was $ 148,698.

According to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of that Group, the entity became involved in 29 apparent violations by providing insurance coverage for several shipments of goods to or from Cuba or related to an entity of the island.

AIG received its second punishment in three years because in May 2014 the US government claimed that insurer subsidiaries in Canada violated three thousand 560 times the regulations against Cuba from January 2006 until March 2009.

Since the inauguration of President Donald Trump on January 20, Washington has given three fines, two of them this June.

American Honda Finance Corporation, dedicated to the financing of motor vehicles for buyers, tenants and authorized independent distributors of Honda and Acura products, was fined $ 87,255 on June 8.

Trump gave a speech and signed on June 16 in Miami, Florida, the so-called National Security Presidential Memorandum on Strengthening Policy of the United States Toward Cuba.

This document restricts the trips of North Americans to the Caribbean country by increasing the bureaucratic barriers and the elimination of individual educational visits.

It also prohibits economic, commercial and financial transactions between US companies and Cuban companies linked to the Revolutionary Armed Forces and security services.