Cuba’s Supreme Popular Tribunal has sentenced former economy minister Alejandro Gil to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of espionage in a closed-door trial, marking one of the most significant corruption cases in the country in more than three decades.
The ruling, delivered on Monday, also found Gil guilty of a wide range of corruption-related offences in a separate proceeding, including bribery, falsification of public documents, influence peddling, and tax evasion. For those crimes, the court imposed a concurrent 20-year prison sentence, to be served alongside the life term.
Gil, once a trusted ally of President Miguel Díaz-Canel and a central figure in Cuba’s economic policymaking, played a leading role in the government’s sweeping monetary reforms introduced in 2021. Those reforms, intended to modernise Cuba’s financial system, were widely criticised for accelerating inflation and deepening hardship in an already fragile economy.
According to a statement released by the court, Gil abused the authority vested in him during his tenure to secure personal financial gain. Judges found that he received money from foreign companies and bribed other public officials to facilitate and legalise the acquisition of assets. The tribunal also concluded that Gil mishandled sensitive state information, stealing and damaging classified materials and ultimately making them accessible to what authorities described as “the enemy.”
“He failed to follow work procedures with the classified official information he handled,” the court said, describing actions that formed the basis of the espionage conviction.
Gil was dismissed from his post by President Díaz-Canel in February 2024. Following his removal, he disappeared from public view, fuelling widespread speculation within Cuba and abroad about his fate. His re-emergence at trial has now confirmed that he had been under investigation by state authorities for months.
The former minister retains the right to appeal the sentences within 10 days, according to Cuban law. Reuters said it was unable to reach Gil or his legal representatives for comment.
The case represents the most high-profile corruption prosecution in Cuba since 1989, when General Arnaldo Ochoa — a celebrated figure of the 1959 revolution — was convicted of drug smuggling and executed by firing squad. Observers say the severity of Gil’s sentence underscores the government’s determination to project a tough stance on corruption at a time of deep economic strain and growing public discontent.
While details of the proceedings remain scarce due to the closed nature of the trial, the conviction of such a senior official signals a rare and dramatic fall from power within Cuba’s tightly controlled political system.
By FCCT Editorial Team
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