US Adds 433 Hotels In Cuba On Prohibited Accommodations List - State Dept.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd September, 2020) The United States has added more than 400 hotels in Cuba to its Prohibited Accommodations list, restricting US citizens from using the listed facilities, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Carrie Filipetti told reporters on Wednesday.

"This list includes 433 properties at the current time, all of which have some affiliation with the Cuban regime or regime insiders," Filipetti said during a telephone briefing.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Trump administration announced new sanctions against Cuba, including a ban on Americans to use hotels owned by the island nation's leadership and close relatives.

Filipetti said Washington did not inform in advance its foreign partners about the restrictive measure will follow up with them later.

Filipetti noted the importance of prioritizing of moral principles and values over commercial interests, pointing out that the facilities are being used to enrich the Cuban leaders and military.

The Treasury Department issued a statement saying any person subject to US jurisdiction will be prohibited from lodging, paying for lodging or making any reservation for or on behalf of a third party to lodge at any property that the US authorities have identified as owned or controlled by the Cuban government, a prohibited Cuban official or member of the Cuban Communist Party and their close relatives.