Not so fast

It's not even known whether fidel castro is alive or dead yet or whether Cuba will finally transition to a democracy that upholds human rights and already the Euro businessmen are salivating at the prospects of lifting the U.S. trade embargo with Cuba. Witness this report from the UK's Independent. Some of the choice excerpts are below.

The Spanish-French tobacco giant Altadis, which owns a controlling stake in Habanos, the marketing and exporting arm of Cuba's state-owned cigar business, is one of a bevy of major foreign companies set to reap billions if the 45-year US trade embargo is lifted...

Sol Melia, the Spanish group which is Cuba's largest hotelier with 23 hotels, could see its revenues from the country double to $100m (£52.4m) if US tourists are allowed in...

The article goes on to say that things aren't so simple:

Opening the country's economy would probably lead to an avalanche of lawsuits. When Mr Castro took power, the government systematically appropriated land, companies, properties and natural resources. Thousands of claims have been lodged against the Cuban government by private citizens and companies, many of them certified by the US authorities...

The Helms-Burton Act, passed by US Congress in 1996, allows for foreign investors to be sued in US courts for investments they have made in Cuba. This would also have to be dealt with...

If you think for one minute that those companies that have been complicit with the castro regime in enslaving and exploiting the Cuban people are going to simply be allowed to reap the benefits of those actions, then you have another thing coming.

There's going to be an accounting for everything that's happened (particularly in the last 15 years). Some of those Spanish hotels are sitting on land stolen from American interests. It's going to be a tremendo arroz con mango.