Cuba libre

- a mixture of rum and Coca Cola with ice and mint - is a favorite drink of Puertoricans - or so I have been told.

If it is also a favorite drink of Cubans, there must have been plenty of them emptied all through last evening and night, judging from the enthusiasm of expat Cubans in Little Havana and other places. No matter that Cuba is likely still far ? (let's hope not) from being anywhere near becoming free.

I have been out on a business social yesterday night, mostly among American expats in Rincon, sipping my own Cuba libre and listening to an animated discussion of the possible effects a free Cuba might have on Puerto Rico: on its turism, investments in turism and investments in general.

The consensus seemed to be that Cuba will quickly leave Puerto Rico in the dust, attracting both investments and turism, since it would have an advantage of a large amount of highly educated and experienced managers and leaders and Cubans with money, who can spearhead Cuba's development very rapidly, while Puerto Rico has a misfortune of being "lead' ("mislead" would be a more correct word, I am afraid) by inept politicians at all levels.

Those of the discussion participants who were heavily invested in Puerto Rico seemed in a particularly dour mood. Those with much less to loose and some capital still in their coffers were - after countless Cuba libres - warming up to the idea of forgoing their planned investments here and waiting for free Cuba. Hmmm