Cuba’s top prosecutor has charged former Economy Minister Alejandro Gil with espionage and multiple financial crimes, marking one of the country’s most high-profile corruption cases in decades.
The Office of the Attorney General said Friday that it had concluded a nearly two-year investigation into Gil, who served as minister of economy and planning from 2019 until his dismissal in February 2024. The statement also mentioned several other unnamed defendants accused of similar offenses.
According to prosecutors, Gil and his associates will face charges of “espionage, acts detrimental to economic activity or contracting, embezzlement, and bribery.” The office did not specify which foreign government or entity may have benefited from their alleged activities.
Additional charges include forgery of public documents, tax evasion, influence peddling, money laundering, and mishandling of classified materials. Under Cuba’s penal code, these crimes are punishable by up to 30 years in prison or, in severe cases, the death penalty.
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No trial date has been set, and authorities have not disclosed whether Gil is currently in custody. He has not been seen in public or issued any statement since the investigation began.
Gil, 61, was once regarded as a trusted ally of President Miguel Díaz-Canel and a central figure in the government’s economic reform agenda. He led Cuba’s 2021 monetary overhaul, which sought to unify the island’s dual currency system, raise wages, and expand the role of private cooperatives.
However, the policy, known locally as “Tarea Ordenamiento” or ‘’Ordering Task,’’ triggered runaway inflation, a sharp depreciation of the peso, and mounting hardships for state-run enterprises. The crisis deepened public frustration over worsening living conditions and shortages of essential goods.
When Gil was abruptly removed from office, the government accused him of committing “grave errors,” without elaborating.
Cuba’s economy has struggled under U.S. sanctions, declining tourism, and severe shortages of food, fuel, and foreign currency. According to Reuters, inflation topped 30 percent in 2023, while the peso lost nearly half its value on the informal market.
The attorney general’s office said legal proceedings against Gil and the other defendants will continue “in accordance with due process,” but offered no timeline.