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The statements from President Donald Trump asserting that Cuba "will fall quite soon" have triggered an immediate spike in claims for properties confiscated by the Cuban regime since 1959.
Jordi Cabarrocas, president of 1898 Compañía de Recuperaciones Patrimoniales, based in Spain, told CiberCuba that his company currently represents more than 500 active families and that, following Trump’s statements, they have received a flood of new contacts. "There is a lot of activity," he stated.
Last Thursday, Trump spoke again about the future scenario in Cuba during a reception for Inter Miami at the White House, where he stated that the Cuban regime "desperately wants an agreement" and that Marco Rubio is managing the negotiations.
His statements come in an unprecedented geopolitical context: on January 3rd, U.S. special military forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, after which Caracas ceased to be the main energy and financial support for Havana, following decades of partnership. On January 29th, the leader signed the Executive Order 14380, which declared a national emergency regarding Cuba, deeming it an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to U.S. national security and foreign policy, and imposed tariffs on countries that supply oil to the island.
The most recent events and statements from the occupant of the White House have generated increasing anticipation for a potential democratic transition in Cuba.
In light of this scenario, the president of 1898 Compañía de Recuperaciones Patrimoniales S.L. discussed in an interview with CiberCuba the significant rise in claims for properties confiscated by the Castro regime starting in 1959.
Cabarrocas explained that among the new contacts received are families that had "thrown in the towel," new clients, and also investors interested in participating in the reconstruction of Cuba. "We have been approached by people with investment capacity, people eager to see Cuba thrive," he noted.
The company, founded approximately 15 years ago and with offices in Miami, Madrid, and Barcelona, estimates that the total value of the assets it represents amounts to 30 billion dollars.
The predominant profile of the claimants is second and third generation —children and grandchildren of the expropriated— organized into families of between 10 and 20 members. Approximately 70% of the claims are concentrated in Havana, where most of the private wealth was located before the Revolution. The properties include houses, buildings, farms, land, tobacco plantations, industrial zones, and agricultural cooperatives.
Cabarrocas dismissed the possibility that a transition would involve mass evacuations. "No one should be thrown out onto the streets, because it is neither advisable nor appropriate," he stated, proposing a compensation model inspired by the processes of Eastern European countries following the fall of the USSR.
He indicated that the regime has "practically built nothing," but has instead "chosen to fragment and degrade already established areas," which makes it easier to find available land for compensations without evicting those who currently reside in those properties.
The legal framework also pushes in the same direction. The Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, reactivated by Trump in January 2025, allows lawsuits against those who "traffic" in properties confiscated in Cuba.
The Supreme Court of the United States is currently reviewing cases involving Havana Docks and Exxon Mobil that could trigger thousands of additional lawsuits. According to Cabarrocas, addressing the property issue is a necessary condition for any viable transition: "Without this unresolved, it will be very difficult for the transition in Cuba to make sense."
To initiate a claim, families do not need extensive documentation. "Practically no paperwork is required. They do need to come to an agreement among themselves. That's the most important part," explained Cabarrocas, who expressed an optimism he had not shown in previous hopeful episodes, such as in 2021. "Everyone is going to want to be part of this new Cuba of the future," he concluded.
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