Cuba Libre is a Young Adult Science Fiction novel (still in its planning/editing/writing stage) in diary format by Morwen Edhelwen. As the title can tell you, it's set in Cuba, 20 Minutes in the Future. Cuba is now ruled by a military dictatorship. The Syndicate have managed to effectively take over the country, which is ruled by a succession of generals who make drugs, covert banking, and smuggling legal. Due to this, Cuba has a thriving economy under the powerful and charismatic General Cabrera, a member of the New Revolutionary Council who has been elected for two successive terms in the last 20 years.
The protagonist is a 14-year-old clone of Che Guevara, who has a club foot and is a part of a band of rural guerrillas. The novel focuses on his coming-of-age and realisation of his purpose as the presidential election grows closer.
This work contains examples of the following tropes
- Artificial Human: Che and other clones like Fidel.
- Bread and Circuses: Cuba has a great economy, education, good health-care services and high standards of living. But the economy is based on legal drug trafficking. Even an entire section of the tourist industry is based on drugs. And a government who makes everyone who might be a threat disappear with the help of the Secret Police. There's even a Commissioner of Narcotics Trafficking.
- Intangible Time Travel: Che visits Eva's memories and shows up, commenting on her actions and future.
- Istanbul (Not Constantinople): Oriente was an old name for a province which covered Eastern Cuba.
- Helicopter Parents: Fidel isn't really Che's father, but he rarely let him go anywhere alone. Justified as Che is a clone and protecting him is Fidel's job.
- Recycled In Space: Eva is Evita Peron, Valverde is Peron, Machedo is Magaldi, Che is Che...
- Religion is Magic: Celia and Fidel are followers of Santeria, a mix of Catholicism and Fon and Yoruba beliefs.
- Shout-Out: Contains references to The Lord of the Rings.
- Small Town Boredom: Eva's reason for leaving the rural village where she was raised and eloping with a talent scout/bandleader.
- Son of a Whore: Fidel's mother was a jinetera. His father is unknown.
