Cuba Charges Former Minister With Espionage And Other Crimes

Prosecutors in Cuba have officially accused ex-economy minister Alejandro Gil of engaging in espionage along with various other grave violations, such as bribery, embezzlement, tax evasion, and money laundering, according to an announcement from the Attorney General’s Office issued late on Friday.

At age 61, Gil held the position of Minister of Economy and Planning starting in 2019 and continuing until February 2024, at which point he was suddenly dismissed from his role. Shortly thereafter, officials disclosed that an inquiry into him was underway regarding what they termed back then as “committing serious errors,” although additional specifics were withheld at that stage.

Through this latest declaration, the prosecutors indicated that they have sought to hold Gil and certain other unidentified persons responsible for “crimes of espionage” and “acts detrimental to economic activity.”

Additionally, the declaration referenced an extensive array of purported infractions, encompassing embezzlement, bribery, falsification of public documents, influence peddling, money laundering, tax evasion, and violation of classified document protection regulations, in addition to “theft and degradation of documents or other items under official custody.”

The Attorney General’s Office refrained from identifying potential beneficiaries of the purported espionage or corruption, and it likewise avoided mentioning any implicated foreign organizations.

“Prison sentences have been requested for the accused, depending on the acts committed,” the statement read, though it provided no hints regarding the possible start date for any trial.

The collapse of Gil represents one of the most notable political controversies in Cuba over the past few years, occurring against a backdrop of intensifying economic distress, fluctuations in currency values, and broad public discontent stemming from scarcities in essentials like food, fuel, and medicine.

Formerly regarded as a trusted associate of President Miguel Díaz-Canel, Gil had been viewed as the primary designer behind multiple contentious economic initiatives designed to steady the Cuban peso and encourage investment, measures that in the end proved unable to halt the nation’s ongoing monetary meltdown.

To date, the government has not divulged more details concerning the scope of the supposed espionage operations or if connections to foreign intelligence services are under consideration.

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