Cuba criticizes US fine for Airbnb International

The Cuban government on Tuesday criticized the US Treasury Department’s deal with Airbnb for “resolving its potential civil liability for violating Washington’s maintenance of transparent sanctions against the island.”

Rodrigo Malmierca, Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, has criticized the US government’s irrational economic, trade and financial blockade of #Cuba. “Digital hosting site fined for booking in our country. #NoMasBloqueo”, he tweeted.

Malmierca responded after the Treasury Department announced yesterday that it had reached a good deal with the digital platform. Airbnb Inc. The Treasury said Airbnb Payments, a subsidiary of, had agreed to pay $ 91,172.29 to settle its potential civil liability for blatant violations of sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) against Cuba.

The permit was issued between 2015 and 2020 for failing to keep records of transactions made by the hosts and transactions related to the stay of travelers who did not meet the 12 categories permitted to travel to the island by the United States. With the terms of office

Founded by Washington in 2015, the 12 categories of American travelers to Cuba include family visits and stays for educational, cultural, sporting or religious purposes. Due to the US embargo, which has been in place since 1962, tourism is still banned, as is most trade with the island, which is controlled by the Communist Party.

Ben Rhodes, a former adviser to former US President Barack Obama, tweeted: “Denying Americans the ability to earn direct income for Cubans and making connections between our people.