The Cuban small and medium-sized enterprise Danaus SRL achieved a legal victory in a Florida court against the American company Overseas of the Americas Corp., following a lawsuit related to the breach of a contract for the purchase of frozen chicken worth $84,000.
Danaus SRL, a private company dedicated to the wholesale distribution of food in Cuba, contracted the delivery of two containers of chicken through a U.S. company in August 2023.
The agreement stipulated that the shipment was to be sent to the port of Mariel in Havana and delivered to a state-run shipping entity for distribution. However, the contract was breached when Overseas of the Americas Corp. sold the containers to another client for a higher price.
In statements to Univisión Noticias, attorney Karel Suárez, who represented the small and medium-sized enterprise in the lawsuit, stated that the movement of the merchandise to another buyer was interpreted as an attempt to take advantage of the geographical distance and the alleged inability of the Cuban company to assert its rights in a business transaction in the United States.
La mipyme presentó una demanda en un tribunal estatal de Florida, y el 8 de noviembre, el juez Jamie Gottman falló a su favor. La decisión judicial ordena a la empresa estadounidense a pagar 85,000 dólares a Danaus SRL, cubriendo el valor del contrato y costos adicionales.
"The case demonstrates that Cuban SMEs can file lawsuits in the United States and attain justice, even from Cuba," Suárez stated.
However, the lawyer warned that collecting the amount could be a challenge, as Overseas of the Americas Corp. appears to be facing financial difficulties.
Danaus SRL has its official headquarters on Avenida 3ra in Miramar, Havana. It promotes itself on social media as a "reliable wholesale food distributor" in Cuba. The company actively maintains its presence on digital platforms.
This case sets a precedent in the commercial relations between Cuban and American companies. It demonstrates that the island's small and medium-sized enterprises can defend their rights in international forums and that the economic embargo has aspects that have not been accurately represented by the island's regime.
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