Mexico City officials try to close American-owned hotel
Officials of Mexico City on Tuesday put large red "CLOSED" stickers on the entrance of a Sheraton hotel which threw out Cuban government officials early last month.

In the posters written in seven languages, guests were asked to leave the hotel Sheraton Maria Isabel because it has broken Mexican laws.

Managers of the hotel said they were "surprised" by the decision, adding that they would consult their lawyers and the hotel would operate as normal.

The official attempt to close the Sheraton hotel came after a Cuban official delegation was ordered by the hotel's management to leave on Feb. 2. The Cuban officials had planned to hold a meeting there with U.S. energy companies interested in doing business with Cuba.

Mexican officials later inspected the hotel and said they found several irregularities which deserved official sanctions, including its excessive occupation of 3,000 square meters and its lack of appropriate parking space and a Braille menu.

They have fined the hotel 157,000 Mexican pesos (around $14,800 U.S. dollars) for breaking regulations.

Officials from Mexico's ruling right-wing National Action Party described the moves as a "revenge" to the hotel's decision to expel the Cubans.

Officials from the left-wing Democratic Revolution Party, however, defended the official decision, saying it was to maintain Mexico's sovereignty as the expulsion was ordered by the U.S. government.

According to regulations of the U.S. Treasury Department, American-owned companies like Sheraton are forbidden to trade with Cubans.