The Cuban small enterprise, Danaus SRL, recently secured a legal victory in a Florida court against the U.S.-based company Overseas of the Americas Corp.. The lawsuit stemmed from a dispute over a breached contract involving a shipment of frozen chicken valued at $84,000. In August 2023, Danaus SRL, a private company specializing in wholesale food distribution in Cuba, entered into an agreement for the delivery of two containers of chicken through the American firm.
As per the contract, the shipment was supposed to be sent to the port of Mariel in Havana and handed over to a state-run transit entity for distribution. However, the agreement was violated when Overseas of the Americas Corp. sold the containers to another buyer at a higher price.
A Legal Precedent for Cuban Businesses
Karel Suárez, the attorney who represented Danaus SRL, told Univisión Noticias that the diversion of the goods to a different purchaser was seen as an attempt to exploit the geographic distance and the presumed inability of the Cuban company to assert its rights in a U.S. business setting. Danaus SRL filed a lawsuit in a Florida state court, and on November 8, Judge Jamie Gottman ruled in their favor. The court's decision mandates that the American company pay $85,000 to Danaus SRL, covering the contract's value and additional expenses.
"This case illustrates that Cuban small businesses can file lawsuits in the United States and achieve justice, even from within Cuba," Suárez remarked. However, he cautioned that collecting the awarded sum could be challenging, as Overseas of the Americas Corp. appears to be facing financial difficulties.
Impact on U.S.-Cuba Business Relations
Located on Avenida 3ra in Miramar, Havana, Danaus SRL markets itself on social media as a "reliable distributor of wholesale food" in Cuba, maintaining a robust online presence. This legal triumph sets a significant precedent in the commercial interactions between Cuban and American companies. It shows that small businesses from the island can uphold their rights on an international platform and highlights aspects of the economic embargo that the Cuban regime has not fully acknowledged.