
Miami man wins $30M verdict against Expedia over confiscated property in Cuba
In a first such decision,, a Miami federal jury has found that travel booking company Expedia Group ows $29.85 million to a Cuban-American family in damages for having promoted and sold bookings to Floridians at hotels in land confiscated by the Cuban government during the early days of Fidel Castro's revolution.
The case was filed by Mario Echevarría, one of the heirs of a Cuban family that claimed ownership of Cayo Coco, a small key off the northern coast of central Cuba, against Expedia and its affiliate sites Hotels.com and Orbitz under the 1996 Helms-Burton Act. It is the first of such lawsuits to reach a jury trial.
The Helms-Burton Act gives U.S. nationals who hold a claim to property that the Cuban government confiscated without compensation the right to sue companies, American or foreign, who have profited or 'trafficked' in such property. Fromn 1996 to 2019, successive U.S. presidents had suspended the Helms-Burton provision, Title III, that provides that legal path, In 2019, President Donald Trump enacted that portion of the act during his first term.
The long pause and several other legal technicalities have complicated the attempts of dozens of U.S. companies and property heirs from prevailing in court. Several other prominent Helms-Burton lawsuits have been turned down on appeal or are headed to the Supreme Court after years of expensive litigation.
But a jury in Florida's Southern District found last Friday that Expedia and its affiliates didn't follow the law by promoting tourism to Cuba and by marketing and selling bookings for Cayo Coco's all-inclusive hotels built in land confiscated from Echevarría's family in 1960.
'This is a major victory not only for our client, but also for the broader community of Cuban-Americans whose property was wrongfully taken and has been exploited by U.S. companies in partnership with the Cuban communist dictatorship,' attorney Andrés Rivero said. 'We are proud to have played a role in securing justice under a law that had never before been tested before a jury.'
The verdict comes six years after Echevarría first notified Expedia that the family was planning to sue in August 2019.
After a two-week trial, the jury found that Echevarría had a 12,5% ownership interest in Cayo Coco and awarded $9,950,000 in damages. The jury also decided to triple the amount the companies must pay because Expedia and its affiliates continued promoting hotels in Cayo Coco after being notified of the potential lawsuit. It is yet unclear if each company would have to pay $30 million separately, and the judge presiding over the case, Federico A. Moreno, has ordered further proceedings.
The travel booking companies have until July to challenge the verdict, Moreno wrote.
Santosh Aravind, a lawyer representing the travel booking companies, told the jury the firms had committed a 'mistake,' not an intentional act of 'trafficking,' and questioned Echevarría's inheritance claims on Cayo Coco's property, Law360 reported. But the jury was unpersuaded.
'We are disappointed in the jury's verdict, which we do not believe was supported by the law or evidence.,' David Shank, a lawyer representing the companies, told the Miami Herald. 'We believe the court was correct to decline immediate entry of judgment and look forward to the court's consideration of the legal sufficiency of the evidence presented to the jury.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Club Car and U.S. LSPTV Coalition Join Congressman Rick Allen in Testimony Before ITC as Final Trade Ruling Nears
AUGUSTA, Ga., June 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Club Car leaders appeared before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in Washington, D.C., to provide testimony as part of the Commission's final hearing in the ongoing antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) case concerning low-speed vehicle imports from China. The hearing is a critical step in the ITC's final determination on whether illegally dumped and subsidized imports of Chinese golf cars and personal transportation vehicles have materially harmed the U.S. industry. "On a level playing field, U.S. companies can out-innovate and out-compete anyone in the world," said Congressman Rick Allen. "However, when foreign companies—with government backing—violate international trade rules and flood the U.S. market with dumped and subsidized products, the playing field is far from even." Club Car leaders provided firsthand evidence of the injury caused by unfair trade practices, including lost sales, price suppression, and competitive disruption in both the consumer personal transportation and golf fleet markets. "We cut, bend, and weld that aluminum inside the four walls of our Augusta, GA manufacturing location to create the structural frame and chassis for every vehicle we sell," said Mark Wagner, Club Car President and CEO (Retiring). "We had to take a stand to protect the American workers who build our cars every day to support their families and have experienced lower take home pay." The Commerce Department has already issued a preliminary determination confirming that Chinese manufacturers benefit from significant government subsidies and sell products in the U.S. at less than fair value. The ITC's upcoming ruling will determine whether duties will be imposed for the next five years. "Chinese producers are flooding the market with lookalike vehicles at artificially low prices—and the consequences have been real for our business, our employees, and our dealers," said Mark Rickell, Club Car, Vice President of Sales – Americas. "There is no portion of the market that is insulated. As U.S. producers lose market share and price competition intensifies, the economics of producing each unit worsen. This is unsustainable." Representatives of a broader U.S. manufacturing coalition advocating for fair competition and enforcement of U.S. trade laws also provided testimony during the hearing. "We appreciate the Commission's thorough and objective review of the facts," said Wagner. "We are confident the evidence clearly shows that these imports have harmed our industry and threaten the long-term viability of U.S. innovation and jobs." Club Car is working closely with industry partners and federal authorities to uphold fair trade practices and protect American manufacturing. About Club Car:With a history of superior design and performance that spans over six decades, Club Car is the leader in the clubhouse and the gold standard for small-wheel vehicles. Proudly headquartered in Augusta, Georgia, Club Car is known for quality craftmanship which ensures long-term reliability and customer satisfaction. Though its legacy is rooted in golf fleet and golf operations, the Club Car product portfolio has grown to include vehicles for commercial, personal and street-legal low speed use. The Club Car Vehicle Group also includes the luxury electric vehicle brand, Garia, and lightweight electric utility vehicle brand, Melex. To learn more, visit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Club Car, LLC Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew tours wildfire zones by air as 21,000 remain out of homes
WINNIPEG — Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew took to the air Thursday, touring and meeting with those dealing with scores of wildfires in his province, while in Saskatchewan thousands of fire evacuees were given the green light to go home. 'Just this morning, the premier was in Flin Flon meeting with the firefighters, the boots on the ground, including our American firefighters that are up there,' Natural Resources Minister Ian Bushie told a wildfire update news conference. Bushie said the province has received or is receiving help from crews from Alberta, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, B.C., Parks Canada and the United States. 'It's been very positive to see a truly all-hands-on-deck approach,' Bushie said. Along with the Flin Flon visit, Kinew was scheduled to meet with municipal officials, evacuees and hospital staff in Thompson before returning to Winnipeg in the evening. The fires have been raging for more than two weeks, mainly in the north and northwest parts of the province, forcing 21,000 to flee in one of the worst fire seasons in recent years. About 6,000 people evacuated Flin Flon and its surrounding homes and cottages while 6,700 are out of the Pimicikamak Cree Nation. There are 21 wildfires, nine of which are out of control. The 600 residents of Cranberry Portage have been notified they can return starting Saturday morning. Bushie said cooler temperatures and scattered rain have helped crews contain the fires for now, but noted that along with wet weather there are lightning strikes that could bring more fires down the road. 'We're not out of the wildfire season yet,' he said. 'Actually I would almost hazard to say we're not even at the height of our wildfire season yet.' The sheer number of evacuees has put a strain on Manitoba's 15,000 hotel rooms to the point Kinew's government is asking tourists to reconsider visiting Manitoba for now. Also Thursday, the province confirmed it will be in charge of security going forward at the Leila congregate shelter in Winnipeg. This will be done with the help of police services from St. Anne's and Winnipeg, as well as First Nations groups. "It's really important to have solid security in place to keep Manitobans safe," said Lisa Naylor, minister of infrastructure. Naylor would not provide information on what led to the switch or who was providing security services before the changeover. Winnipeg police have committed to sending officers to evacuee shelters and hotels to ensure vulnerable residents aren't targeted. In Saskatchewan, rain and favourable winds have helped crews keep fires at bay and allowed 7,000 residents in the La Ronge area to begin returning home. Chief Tammy Cook-Searson of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band said on social media communities are 'beyond excited' to have residents back. 'We missed you more than words can say,' she said. 'As we reconnect and move forward together, support will be available for your mental health. You are not alone." Lyle Hannan, the director of the La Ronge's emergency operation centre, said gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants are open, while work is underway to get the hospital running. 'We had to go around and pick up all the residents' garbage so they had an empty garbage bin to fill when they come home,' Hannan said late Wednesday. Hannan said the Rona hardware store, Robertson Trading store and an air tanker structure at the town's airport were destroyed by the fire. He said he's heard some people are anxious to return. 'You miss home and you want to make sure you can see things and make sure everything is still here,' Hannan said. Saskatchewan officials estimate between 10,000 and 15,000 have been forced out by the fires. The province is fighting 23 blazes, six of which have not been contained. Both Manitoba and Saskatchewan have declared states of emergency to help different levels of government co-ordinate resources and relief. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's government has promised to top up aid with $500 for every person over 18 who has had to relocate. Moe made that announcement Wednesday while facing criticism from the Opposition NDP and the provincial ombudsman that his government failed to deliver immediate shelter, food and vital information to many running from harm's way. Ombudsman Sharon Pratchler said earlier this week her staffers have been overwhelmed trying to fill the void by connecting evacuees to food and shelter. Pratchler said she is hearing of evacuees forced to sleep in cars and parents lacking essentials like diapers for their children. Moe has said his government has done what it can to keep people safe from fires while fighting the swiftly moving conflagrations, but will strive to improve. The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency says it has scaled up the number of people available to help those with immediate needs. Opposition NDP Leader Carla Beck has said the $500 will help but said citizens deserve better than a province that appears to be doing its disaster planning 'on the back of a napkin.' Fires in Alberta have also forced scores from their homes, mainly in the remote north. — with files from Jeremy Simes in Regina This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2025. Brittany Hobson and Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Trump hints he may raise auto tariffs ‘in the not too distant future'
President Trump said Thursday that he may increase tariffs on automobile imports 'in the not-too-distant future.' 'To further defend our autoworkers, I imposed this 25 percent tariff on all foreign automobiles, and investment in American manufacturing and auto manufacturing — all manufacturing — is surging,' Trump said. 'And I might go up with that tariff in the not-too-distant future,' Trump added. 'The higher you go, the more likely it is they build a plant here.' His comments came at a White House event to block a California state rule that would ban the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. Trump touted incoming investments from Ford and General Motors, crediting his tariffs for those announcements. However, foreign carmakers like Hyundai have warned they may have to raise prices because of tariffs. The president has aggressively imposed — and pulled back — tariffs on various sectors, such as automobiles and steel and aluminum, while threatening additional tariffs on pharmaceuticals and other specific imports. He has also imposed a 10 percent blanket tariff on all imports while announcing and later suspending higher tariff rates on dozens of other nations. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.