President Donald Trump will open the way for lawsuits in US courts over property confiscated by Cuba, enforcing a controversial law that had been waived for more than two decades, an official said Tuesday.

In allowing a key section of the 1996 Helms-Burton Act to take effect, Trump is moving ahead with a provision that had been waived by successive presidents mindful of the international consequences.

National security advisor John Bolton will formally unveil the shift on Wednesday when he heads to Miami to address expatriates from Cuba as well as Venezuela and Nicaragua, two other countries in Latin America with leftist governments opposed by Trump.

Bolton "will announce the enforcement of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act," a senior administration official said.

Under the 1996 law, Cuban exiles will be allowed to head to US courts to sue both private companies and the Havana government for profiting from properties nationalized after Fidel Castro's 1959 communist revolution.

When it was initially passed, the law had been strongly opposed by the European Union, whose businesses have long-standing interests on the island and worried about the legal repercussions in US courts.

But Trump has been shifting sharply back to the former US effort of trying to weaken the Cuban government.

His predecessor, Barack Obama, normalized relations with Cuba, eased travel restrictions for Americans and himself visited Havana, saying that a half-century of US efforts to topple the regime had failed.

Trump has also been pushing for the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a leftist firebrand who presides over a crumbling economy that has sparked a massive exodus.

The 1996 law -- named for far-right Republican senator Jesse Helms and congressman Dan Burton -- was approved by Congress after Cuba in 1996 shot down two aircraft flown by exiled activists, putting an end to tentative efforts by then president Bill Clinton to try to repair relations.

President Donald Trump will open the way for lawsuits in US courts over property confiscated by Cuba, enforcing a controversial law that had been waived for more than two decades, an official said Tuesday.

President Donald Trump will open the way for lawsuits in US courts over property confiscated by Cuba, enforcing a controversial law that had been waived for more than two decades, an official said Tuesday. In allowing a key section of the 1996 Helms-Burton Act to take effect, Trump is moving ahead with a provision that had been waived by successive presidents mindful of the international consequences. National security advisor John Bolton will formally unveil the shift on Wednesday when he heads to Miami to address expatriates from Cuba as well as Venezuela and Nicaragua, two other countries in Latin America with leftist governments opposed by Trump. Bolton "will announce the enforcement of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act," a senior administration official said. Under the 1996 law, Cuban exiles will be allowed to head to US courts to sue both private companies and the Havana government for profiting from properties nationalized after Fidel Castro's 1959 communist revolution. When it was initially passed, the law had been strongly opposed by the European Union, whose businesses have long-standing interests on the island and worried about the legal repercussions in US courts. But Trump has been shifting sharply back to the former US effort of trying to weaken the Cuban government. His predecessor, Barack Obama, normalized relations with Cuba, eased travel restrictions for Americans and himself visited Havana, saying that a half-century of US efforts to topple the regime had failed. Trump has also been pushing for the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a leftist firebrand who presides over a crumbling economy that has sparked a massive exodus. The 1996 law -- named for far-right Republican senator Jesse Helms and congressman Dan Burton -- was approved by Congress after Cuba in 1996 shot down two aircraft flown by exiled activists, putting an end to tentative efforts by then president Bill Clinton to try to repair relations.

US to allow lawsuits over Cuba property confiscation

The United States on Wednesday abstained for the first time in 25 years from a vote at the United Nations calling for an end to the US embargo against Cuba.

The UN General Assembly adopted the annual resolution by an overwhelming 191 votes in favour, with only the United States and Israel abstaining in the 193-nation forum.

The measure calls on all UN member states to refrain from applying the embargo and to &quot;reaffirm the freedom of trade and navigation.&quot;

Washington&#39;s abstention was in line with calls from President Barack Obama for the opposition-controlled Congress to lift the decades-old embargo as part of a historic normalisation of relations.

&quot;The United States has always voted against this resolution. Today the United States will abstain,&quot; US ambassador Samantha Power told the assembly, drawing loud applause.

&quot;After 55-plus years of pursuing the path of isolation, we are choosing to take the path of engagement.&quot;&nbsp;

Cuban foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez welcomed the US shift as positive, but said that Washington must take concrete steps that go beyond the &quot;vote of one delegation in this forum.&quot;

&quot;The blockade continues to be a massive, flagrant and systematic violation of the human rights of all Cuban men and women and qualifies as an act of genocide,&quot; Rodriguez said.

Embargo restrictions have prevented the sale of US medical equipment to treat Cubans suffering from Parkinson&#39;s disease and blocked a deal by a Cuban pharmaceutical company that would have allowed it to produce drugs locally, said the foreign minister.

The assembly has voted each year since 1992 to approve the resolution criticising the embargo that was imposed in 1960, at the height of the Cold War.

The United States restored diplomatic ties with Cuba in July 2015 and a month later re-opened its embassy in Havana. Obama made a landmark visit to the communist-ruled island in March.

But restoring full trade and financial ties with Cuba would require legislative action by the US congress, where the Republican majority has said human rights concerns must first be addressed.

(AFP) 
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Washington's abstention to the UN vote calling for end to Cuba embargo signals another step towards normalisation of relations

The United States on Wednesday abstained for the first time in 25 years from a vote at the United Nations calling for an end to the US embargo against Cuba. The UN General Assembly adopted the annual resolution by an overwhelming 191 votes in favour, with only the United States and Israel abstaining in the 193-nation forum. The measure calls on all UN member states to refrain from applying the embargo and to "reaffirm the freedom of trade and navigation." Washington's abstention was in line with calls from President Barack Obama for the opposition-controlled Congress to lift the decades-old embargo as part of a historic normalisation of relations. "The United States has always voted against this resolution. Today the United States will abstain," US ambassador Samantha Power told the assembly, drawing loud applause. "After 55-plus years of pursuing the path of isolation, we are choosing to take the path of engagement." Cuban foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez welcomed the US shift as positive, but said that Washington must take concrete steps that go beyond the "vote of one delegation in this forum." "The blockade continues to be a massive, flagrant and systematic violation of the human rights of all Cuban men and women and qualifies as an act of genocide," Rodriguez said. Embargo restrictions have prevented the sale of US medical equipment to treat Cubans suffering from Parkinson's disease and blocked a deal by a Cuban pharmaceutical company that would have allowed it to produce drugs locally, said the foreign minister. The assembly has voted each year since 1992 to approve the resolution criticising the embargo that was imposed in 1960, at the height of the Cold War. The United States restored diplomatic ties with Cuba in July 2015 and a month later re-opened its embassy in Havana. Obama made a landmark visit to the communist-ruled island in March. But restoring full trade and financial ties with Cuba would require legislative action by the US congress, where the Republican majority has said human rights concerns must first be addressed. (AFP)

US abstains for first time in UN vote on lifting Cuba embargo, allows easing of trade rules

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US to allow lawsuits over Cuba property confiscation

US abstains for first time in UN vote on lifting Cuba embargo, allows easing of trade rules