Cuba sentences former economy minister to life in prison for espionage

Cuba’s top court on Monday said a former economy minister was sentenced to life in prison for espionage, in the highest-profile case against an ex-official in recent years on the island.

The Supreme Popular Tribunal said in a statement that former Economy Minister Alejandro Gil Fernández also received a second sentence of 20 years in prison after being found guilty in a separate trial of other crimes including bribery, falsification of documents and tax evasion.

Gil was economy minister from 2018 to 2024, and he was one of the closest collaborators of President Miguel Díaz-Canel until he was removed from his post. In 2019, he was also appointed as deputy prime minister.

Weeks after his dismissal, the Cuban leader said that Gil had made “serious mistakes” and that corruption would not be tolerated, but without giving any specifics.