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Recent Actions by the US Authorities 2004-6)
During 2004,
the US Treasury Department fined 77 companies and banks for trading with Cuba, including Banco Santander, Iberia, Daewoo, Air Jamaica, the Bank of China and most notably UBS, which was fined US$ 200 million for offences regarding Cuba and other countries.
February 22, 2005:
The US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) clarified harsher rules on Cuban payments for food.
April 2005:
OFAC confirmed a clampdown on licences issued to religious organisations to visit Cuba.
June 2005: Jamaica's SuperClubs pulled out of two hotel contracts in Cuba because of US pressure.
Dec 2005:
Condoleezza Rice announced that she was reconvening the Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba. It is due to report in May 2006.
2006: Certain overseas financial institutions operating in Cuba stop operations in US dollars. This may have been due to concerns with the US embargo.
Feb 3, 2006:
The US Treasury tells the US company, Starwood Hotels & Resorts that it is in contravention of the US Trading with the Enemy Act due to its subsidiary, the Sheraton Maria Isabel in Mexico City hosting Cuban officials (for a Cuba-US oil & gas summit).
Feb 2006:
Reported that OFAC had written to Pastors for Peace warning them of fines if they continued travelling to Cuba.
April 2006:
Reports that Florida lawmakers (Bill Nelson) are looking at legislation to try and ban Cuban oil drilling within 50 miles of Florida's coastline (this would be in clear contravention of the 1977 treaty which determined the maritime boundaries.
July 10, 2006:
The second report of CAFC was released which, while largely an extension of the previous year's report also suggests the EIU included 'some significant changes in emphasis and tone that indicate that hardliners in the US have succeeded in tilting the administration towards contemplating more direct intervention.'
August 2006:
Reports of an inter-agency Cuban Nickel Targeting Task Force did not worry mining analysts who pointed out that it was virtually impossible to track Cuban nickel to end products.
Sep 2006:
OFAC reportedly sent letters to several US shippers & companies ordering them to 'cease and desist' from dealing with certain foreign banks (targeting especially Netherlands Caribbean Bank).
Oct 2006:
The US Administration established a Miami-based Cuban Sanctions Enforcement Task Force one month before midterm congressional elections to 'aggressively' pursue violators of the US embargo.
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