Ex-Cuban Economy Minister charged with corruption and espionage
The Cuban Prosecutor General's Office has charged former Economy Minister Alejandro Gil and others with espionage, bribery and a number of economic crimes. This was reported on November 1 by the Reuters news agency.
Gil and others will be held accountable for "espionage, acts detrimental to economic activity or the conclusion of contracts, embezzlement and bribery," the Prosecutor General's office of the Latin American country concluded.
The charges were brought as a result of a nearly two-year criminal investigation into Alejandro Gil, who held office from 2019 until he was removed from office in February 2024, as well as a number of other unnamed defendants. There is no information yet on the interests of which country or subjects the accused carried out espionage activities. The exact number of the accused, their names and occupation are also not given.
According to the Cuban Criminal Code, the above-mentioned crimes are punishable by imprisonment for a term of 10 years or more. In some cases, the death penalty is applied to criminals. In 2021, as Cuba's Minister of Economy, Gil spearheaded a major monetary reform in the country. The innovations envisioned the unification of the country's dual currency system, but had a detrimental effect on the economy and caused public discontent.
In August, it was reported that the United States had increased the reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to $50 million. The American authorities accuse the politician of collaborating with the Tren de Aragua group and the Sinaloa cartel related to the sale of drugs. At the same time, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla condemned the decision, saying that the administration of US President Donald Trump has no grounds, including legal ones, for making such decisions.
In the same month, a Colombian court sentenced former President Alvaro Uribe, who held office from 2002 to 2010, to 12 years of house arrest for procedural fraud and witness bribery. Uribe was also fined $822,000 and stripped of his right to hold public office for more than eight years.
All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
