Recently the streets of Havana have been abuzz with speculation about the fate of Miguel Alvarez, the right-hand man of Parliament President Ricardo Alarcon.

The Miami Herald reported last week that the right-hand man of Parliament President Ricardo Alarcon, Miguel Alvarez, had been arrested along with his wife in a probe of alleged corruption. The report, which cited an anonymous source in Cuba, has been impossible to confirm, and Cuban officials declined to comment.

While there's no sign that Alarcon is a target, Hare said having such a close associate ensnared would still deal a blow to his reputation.

"It would be very difficult for (Alarcon) to dissociate himself from that unless he could prove he was the one who tipped them off over it," Hare said. "I think it's bound to taint him."

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