In The Godfather Part II, Michael Corleone visits Havana during the 1958 Cuban Revolution.
Michael travels to Havana to discuss a business deal involving Hyman Roth and Cuban officials. The trip occurs around New Year’s Eve in 1958, as the government of Cuban president Fulgencio Batista is collapsing under pressure from Fidel Castro’s revolutionary forces.
The Havana sequence is important because it shows Michael considering casino and hotel investments while political instability makes the deal increasingly dangerous. During the celebrations, he witnesses Batista’s resignation and departure from Cuba, signaling that the existing regime is finished.
A common mix-up is confusing Havana with the locations connected to young Vito Corleone’s story. Vito’s early life is shown in Sicily and New York, while Michael’s business negotiations in this part of the film take place in Cuba. The sequence also helps explain why Roth’s plans and Michael’s criminal empire become harder to control.