Abel Prieto Returns as Cuba’s Minister of Culture

Abel Prieto, 65, was previously the minister of culture from 1997-2012- He has since been an advisor to president Raul Castro.
Abel Prieto, 65, was previously the minister of culture from 1997-2012- He has since been an advisor to president Raul Castro.

HAVANA TIMES — The Cuban government announced today the dismissal of the Minister of Culture Julian Gonzalez Toledo and named as his “provisional replacement” former minister Abel Prieto.

No motive was given for the destitution of Gonzalez.

The announcement came from the Council of State and was published this morning in the official daily Granma.

15 thoughts on “Abel Prieto Returns as Cuba’s Minister of Culture

  • No, this one is real – I checked. He collects photographs of himself and others who he admires – a sort of rogues gallery.
    But he is obviously pretty thick, as despite an array of comments from left and right, he continues with his inane comments.

  • Conrad Ermle is a laugh a minute.
    A man who has never been to Cuba feels entitled to make comment about one of Raul Castro’s appointed henchmen, but objects to a person who knows Cuba intimately and having his home there expressing a view about another henchman.
    What he is doing Informed Consent is demonstrating communist believe – if you don’t agree with communism, “shut up”. That is their creed as practiced by the Castros in Cuba!
    But I like his last line which is quite funny!
    “They know what they are doing.”
    That explains the changes!
    I was also amused by Conrad’s comment that I was “hypocritical to bite the hand that feeds you.” How funny can he get?
    Conrad reminds me of a comment made by Bob Hope when driven in an open Jeep around two Korean maidens carrying what were euphemistically called “honey buckets” by UN troops. Hope stuck that famous banana nose up in the air and said: “PHEEW” He was asked by the driver: “You know what that is don’t you?” Hope’s reply was:
    “Sure, I know what it is, but what have they done to it?”

  • He’s an agent provocateur. Perhaps a previous contributor to this site under the guise of a new name. It’s been some while since we’ve heard from Mr Richardson. ummmmmm

  • hmmm. your comment sounds familiar. What did you accuse Carlyle of a while back? Something about pulling a Trump. Your comment sounds a lot like that eh CErmle.

  • This is an internal matter for the People of Cuba and is none of your business. They know what they are doing.

  • What about Marino Murillo, does his dismissal earn your approval or was his appointment by Raul yet another mistake?

  • Lost your tongue or fingers or pen, or just your mind? You can’t respond to the four questions I asked (below) because you are simple ignorant about the matters involved. Backward always!

  • I hope that other contributors to Havana Times will note that CErmle lacks both the courage and knowledge to respond to the simple questions posed.
    He obviously finds it easier to sit and write mindless slogans than to contribute views and ideas.

  • If you had the slightest knowledge of Cuba – which you don’t having obviously never been there, you would know of the Alarcon event.

    1) Why do you think Alarcon was fired?
    2) Was Raul Castro wrong when he appointed Julian Gonzalez Toledo?
    3) Why do you think that Abel Prieto being appointed is: “a great leap forward”.

    I have not the slightest interest in spreading “discord and confusion”. I have an interest in ensuring that the truth about Cuba and the Castro family communist dictatorship is revealed to all for what it is.

    That regime is repressive, oppressive, opposed to freedom of expression and totalitarian.

    You obviously hiding in the safety of the capitalist free world wish to see the people of Cuba subjected to conditions that you would not accept yourself. It is open to you to emigrate to Cuba and live under the system you, admittedly in ignorance, support. Why don’t you?

    I can guarantee that you won’t respond to the four questions i have posed, as you don’t have sufficient knowledge to do anything other than parrot the phrases used for many decades by the communist propaganda machines.

  • You appear to only be interested in spreading discord and confusion. None of your information above is based in reality, and I think you know it.

  • Since it appears you are a aligned with the counter revolutionaries I don’t think any explanation would be acceptable to you, so it is meaningless to do so. I still think it’s hypocritical to bite the hand that feeds you.

  • So you didn’t approve of Julian Gonzalez Toledo? Raul Castro made a mistake and took a great leap backwards when appointing him?
    What is your analysis of why he was dismissed as you were: “So glad to hear this.”?
    Please do inform us of the reasoning behind your opinion!

  • It’s rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

  • This is another great leap forward in the Revolution. So glad to hear this.

  • The secretive dismissal of Julian Gonzalez Toledo reminds one of the dismissal of Alarcon, who years later was allowed to be part of the re-opening of the Cuban Embassy in Washington. There was conjecture that the reason for Alarcon’s dismissal was his addressing a meeting of Havana University students and answering their questions. One of them asked Alarcon if it would be a good idea to allow Cuban students to visit the US to observe for themselves and report back to their fellow students, the evils of the capitalist system. Alarcon reminded them that he had been Cuba’s representative at the UN for many years adding that if he as a Latino entered an American supermarket he would be thrown out. The reality being that American supermarkets are there to sell goods and they don’t care a fig about the ethnic origin of the person offering dollars to put in their till.

    But Raul Castro didn’t like Alarcon providing the students with opportunity to question a voice of the regime. His own reactions at the joint press conference with Barack Obama reflecting similar discomfort.

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