U.S. Department
of Justice
Current Programs
Helms-Burton Act/Claims Against Cuba
The Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 (also known as the Helms-Burton Act) includes as Title III a provision authorizing U.S. nationals whose property in Cuba was confiscated by the Castro regime to bring federal court actions against foreign entities “trafficking” in those properties. The legislation contemplates that, with limited exceptions, the courts hearing these cases will adopt the valuations determined in awards issued by the Commission in its Cuban Claims Programs, conducted from 1965 to 1972 (the first Cuban Claims Program; see Section IV, subsection A.8, below) and from 2005 to 2006 (the second Cuban Claims Program; see Section IV, subsection A.19, below). In cases where a plaintiff was not eligible to file a claim in the Commission’s Cuban Claims Program (i.e., was not a U.S. national at the time of confiscation), the legislation authorized the United States District Courts, beginning in March 1998, to appoint the Commission as Special Master to make determinations on issues such as ownership and valuation of property for use in court actions.
On March 6, 2025, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, issued an order appointing the Commission to act as a Special Master in the case of Del Riego Ponte, et al, v. Instituto De Planificacion Fisca, et al., Case No. 1:22-cv-3347-RCL. The District Court referred the plaintiff’s claims to the Commission to determine the validity of their ownership interests in the Confiscated Properties pursuant to 22 U.S.C. § 6083(a)(2). The Commission has begun its work under this appointment.
Albania Claims Program
Pursuant to the U.S.-Albanian Claims Settlement Agreement of March 1995, the FCSC retains authority to adjudicate claims of U.S. nationals for expropriation, confiscation and other loss of property suffered at the hands of the Communist regime which seized power in Albania at the end of the Second World War. A fund of $2 million was provided by Albania under the 1995 agreement from which to pay the Commission's awards, and over $1 million remains available in this fund. Accordingly, anyone with a potential uncompensated property claim against the Albanian government is encouraged to submit his or her claim without delay.
Important Documents