The former Cuban Minister of Economy and Planning, Alejandro Gil, was sentenced to life imprisonment for several crimes, including espionage, corruption and theft and damage to documents or other objects, the Supreme People’s Court of Cuba reported this Monday.
The judges also found Gil guilty of damaging documents or other objects in official custody and violating official seals and violating rules for protecting classified documents, according to a court notice published in state media.
The former minister and former deputy prime minister, top politician sentenced in Cuba In at least 15 years, he was tried for these crimes in a first trial held in Havana between November 11 and 13.
In addition, Gil was tried in a second trial, held between November 26 and 29, for the crimes of corruption with intent to commit falsification of public documents, influence peddling and tax evasion, all three on an ongoing basis. For this reason, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison, the court said.
Both convictions can be appealed within ten days.
The convicted person, explains the press release, “through acts of corruption and simulation, took advantage of the powers conferred on him by the responsibilities he assumed to obtain personal advantages, receive money from foreign companies and the bribery of other public officials to legalize the acquisition of property.
In addition, the note continues, “he deceived the country’s leaders and the people he represented, thus generating damage to the economy” and “he did not respect the work processes with the classified official information that he handled, he stole it, damaged it and finally made it available to enemy services.”
The Supreme People’s Court ruled that these “highly harmful behaviors” make the indicted person worthy of a “severe criminal response” by establishing that “the Treason to the fatherland is the most serious crime and anyone who commits it is exposed to the most severe sanctions. »
Gil, who was also a close collaborator of President Miguel Díaz-Canel and member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC, the only legal one), He led the Economy and Planning portfolio between 2018 and 2024.
In February last year, he was fired for what was initially attributed to problems in implementing economic reforms in the country amid a crisis. However, a month later, Díaz-Canel announced that Gil was being is under investigation for “serious errors” linked to corruption crimes.
Late last October, a year and seven months after the presidential declaration, the attorney general’s office announced that Gil was charged with eleven crimes.
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