I also believe that Michael was simply being prudent about committing to his Cuba investment because of the rebel activity. His witnessing of events simply confirmed his prudence. [/quote]
True, Oli. And, it raises another question: Had Michael decided, during his Havana sojourn, to give up on Cuba forever?
Everyone except Batista knew, in December 1958, that Batista was finished. But, there was no reason at the time to believe that gambling also would be finished. Tourism, with gambling at its center, was Cuba's third biggest industry, after mining and agriculture. Castro hadn't declared himself a Marxist, and had even reopened the casinos after the hotel and casino workers demonstrated against him. Michael was obsessed with getting Roth's Havana gaming empire, which probably would have made him the biggest legit gambling operator in the Western Hemisphere. I just can't see him walking away and never turning back.