Hilton refused licence for CARICOM-Cuba summit

The union representing workers at the Hilton Trinidad hotel on Wednesday criticised the United States government over its failure to grant a licence to the hotel to host the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)-Cuba summit there on Thursday.

Cuban President Raul Castro arrived in Port-of-Spain on Wednesday for the talks with CARICOM leaders, but the US-based hotel chain, Hilton Worldwide, said it had been denied a special licence from the United States government to allow for the meeting to be held at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre.

The summit will now take place at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) in the capital.

John Julian, general secretary of the Communications Workers Union, which represents workers at the hotel, told reporters that the move by Washington is wrong.

"The hotel is owned 100 per cent by nationals of Trinidad and Tobago. In fact, when they had the upgrade for the (Summit of the Americas) in 2009 ... more than TT$250 million (US$41.6 million) of taxpayers' money (was used) to upgrade the hotel," he said.

"Hilton International did not put any money in it. For it to come now and say that you need to get permission, we find that to be insultive to the people of Trinidad and Tobago and CARICOM," added Julian.

Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre general manager, Ali Khan, read a statement from Hilton Worldwide, titled 'Hilton Worldwide regarding CARICOM/Cuba Summit', which noted that "as a US-based company, Hilton Worldwide is subject to US law, which restricts certain activities as a result of the trade embargo with Cuba".

Us embargo stipulation

"The US/Cuban assets control regulations administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control at the US Department of the Treasury generally prohibits US-based companies from providing any services that benefit the Cuban Government unless specifically licensed. Violations are subject to significant civil and criminal penalties," the statement said.

Khan said that "while we have worked with the appropriate governmental agencies in the US and Trinidad and Tobago to secure a licence, we have been informed that one will not be granted".

Hilton Worldwide advised in its statement that further questions should be posed to the US Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago.

Julian said the decision of Washington would also impact negatively on the workers at the hotel who would have benefited from the various service taxes paid to host the summit there.

He accused the Kamla Persad-Bissessar government of "not taking a proactive approach to the situation", and said that the action by Washington would cost the hotel "a lot of money".

"In this Christmas period, when a lot of activities are no longer at the Hilton ... we believe that this was an ideal opportunity for the Hilton hotel to be of prominence again to be the number one hotel in Trinidad and Tobago and, indeed, the Caribbean."

Julian said it would be important to know how the United States could determine who stays at the hotel, which is owned by the government and people of Trinidad and Tobago.