Maria Salazar 1.1 6 ideas

Salazar states, "The Cuban regime was just hanging by a thread... Cuba is next." The Herzfeld Caribbean Basin Fund (Ticker: CUBA) is the primary vehicle that trades on the sentiment of the US embargo lifting or regime change. It historically trades at a massive premium to NAV whenever political normalization rumors spike. If the US administration pivots to "action" as Salazar requests, this closed-end fund is the highest-beta play on the news cycle. If the regime stabilizes or the US ignores the plea, the premium on the fund collapses.

Salazar notes the island is "in darkness... no electricity." She also highlights her representation of the "Cuban exile community in Miami." MasTec (MAS) is a major infrastructure and energy engineering firm headquartered in Coral Gables (Miami). It was founded by Jorge Mas Canosa, a legendary figure in the Cuban exile community. If the regime falls and the US aids in rebuilding the grid, MasTec is politically and geographically positioned to win the reconstruction contracts. A "pick and shovel" play on the physical reconstruction of Cuba's failed power grid. Regime survival means no contracts; US aid might be distributed to other general contractors.

Salazar implies an imminent change in governance ("Cuba should be next"). The "Holy Grail" for the cruise industry is the reopening of Havana. It is a high-demand destination only 90 miles from the major hubs (Miami/Fort Lauderdale), which drastically lowers fuel costs for cruise operators compared to deeper Caribbean routes. A regime collapse would likely lead to the lifting of travel restrictions, acting as a massive catalyst for Royal Caribbean (RCL), Carnival (CCL), and Norwegian (NCLH). Political instability could make the island unsafe for tourism initially; the embargo requires Congressional action to fully lift.

"There's no fuel. There's no gas." New Fortress Energy (NFE) specializes in building LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) terminals and power infrastructure in the Caribbean and Latin America to solve immediate energy shortages. If the US intervenes with aid, emergency power generation and LNG imports will be the first step to stabilizing the island. NFE is the logical provider for rapid-deployment energy infrastructure in the region. Payment risk is high without US government backing/guarantees.