Cuba has brought serious charges against former Economy Minister Alejandro Gil for espionage and a series of financial crimes, leaving open the question of who benefited from his alleged subversive activities. Cuba’s top prosecutor has officially charged Gil and other individuals, whose names have not yet been disclosed.
As reported by the office of Cuba’s attorney general on Friday, a nearly two-year-long criminal investigation into Alejandro Gil, who held the position of Minister of Economy and Planning from 2019 until his sudden dismissal, has been completed. A number of other individuals, whose names remain undisclosed, were also implicated in the investigation.
Gil and others will face trial on charges of “espionage, acts detrimental to economic activity or contracting, embezzlement, bribery”, the office said, refraining from specifying which country or individuals benefited from their activities.
Other charges include forgery of public documents, tax evasion, influence peddling, money laundering, violation of established rules for handling classified documents, as well as theft or damage of documents and other items held in official custody.
A trial date has not yet been set; however, the enumerated charges are punishable from 10 years of imprisonment up to the death penalty, according to Cuba’s current penal code.
Previously closely associated with President Miguel Diaz-Canel, Gil was a driving force behind a major monetary reform implemented in Cuba in 2021. Its key elements included attempts to unify the country’s dual currency system, wage increases, adjustments to the subsidy system, and the introduction of new regulations for private employment and cooperatives.