The rumour mills are grinding at full power again. After Fidel Castro’s repeated failure to appear in public in recent months, the health of the Cuban leader has again become the subject of constant speculation.

The odd thing though is that none of this matters much. It has been clear since last summer when the president’s younger brother, Raúl, smoothly took over the reins of power on a temporary basis that the institutions of Cuban communism were strong enough to survive Mr Castro’s departure from office. If the younger Mr Castro were to be permanently in charge it would reinforce a shift towards more collegiate leadership and a more realistic emphasis on efficiency that has been injected into economic policy.