Helms–Burton Act

E90636

The Helms–Burton Act is a 1996 U.S. law that tightened and extended the economic embargo against Cuba, including extraterritorial sanctions on foreign companies doing business with the island.


Statements (49)
Predicate Object
instanceOf United States federal law
economic sanctions legislation
alsoKnownAs LIBERTAD Act
appliesTo Cuba
containsProvision Title I – Strengthening International Sanctions Against the Castro Government
Title II – Assistance to a Free and Independent Cuba
Title III – Protection of Property Rights of United States Nationals
Title IV – Exclusion of Certain Aliens
controversy criticized by Canada and Mexico for its impact on their companies operating in Cuba
criticized by the European Union as an extraterritorial application of U.S. law
country United States
dateEnacted 1996-03-12
enforcementAgency United States Department of State
United States Department of the Treasury
feature allows U.S. nationals to file civil suits in U.S. courts against persons trafficking in property confiscated by the Cuban government
codifies the United States embargo against Cuba into law
denies entry into the United States to certain executives and controlling shareholders of companies that traffic in confiscated property in Cuba
imposes extraterritorial sanctions on foreign companies trafficking in confiscated property in Cuba
restricts the ability of the U.S. president to unilaterally lift the embargo on Cuba
geopoliticalImpact strained relations between the United States and several allies over Cuba policy
jurisdiction United States federal jurisdiction
legalArea foreign policy
international economic sanctions
trade embargo
legislativeBody United States Congress
namedAfter Dan Burton
Jesse Helms
officialName Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996
opposedBy Canada
European Union
Mexico
presidentDuringEnactment Bill Clinton
purpose to promote a transition to democracy in Cuba
to protect the claims of United States nationals who had property confiscated by the Cuban government
to strengthen and continue the United States embargo against Cuba
relatedTo Torricelli Act
Trading with the Enemy Act of 1917
United States embargo against Cuba
shortName Helms–Burton Act
signedBy Bill Clinton
subject United States embargo against Cuba
foreign investment in Cuba
human rights in Cuba
supportedBy Cuban-American exile groups
anti-Castro U.S. legislators
targets Cuban government
foreign companies investing in Cuba
title Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996
year 1996

Referenced by (8)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Helms–Burton Act ("Title I – Strengthening International Sanctions Against the Castro Government")
Helms–Burton Act ("Title II – Assistance to a Free and Independent Cuba")
containsProvision
Cuban Democracy Act ("Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act")
Cuban Democracy Act
relatedTo
United States–Cuba relations
embargoCodifiedBy
Helms–Burton Act ("Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996")
officialName
Helms–Burton Act
shortName
Helms–Burton Act ("Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996")
title

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