The Hotel Sheraton Maria Isabel in Mexico City set off an international controversy after expelling 16 Cuban officials from its premises in early February. The hotel said it made the decision at the instruction of its parent company, US-based Starwood Hotels. The parent company was following the directive of the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in accordance with the US embargo against Cuba. Under the Helms-Burton Law, US companies are prohibited from supplying services to Cuban individuals or companies.