Cuban Small Farmers Leader Dismissed

HAVANA TIMES — Orlando Lugo Fonte, 78, was relieved of duties on Sunday as the president of the National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP) after 25 years of leading the organization of small farmers and agricultural cooperatives in Cuba.

His replacement is Felix Gonzalez Viego, 50, the vice president of the organization for the past two years.

ANAP is the mass organization of cooperatives, campesinos and their families that was founded in 1961. According to official data, it is currently made up of 4,331 grassroots organizations that bring together 331,874 associated members from around the country.

The following is the official news article published today in the official Granma newspaper:

Action taken by the plenum of ANAP’s National Committee

The plenary of the National Committee of ANAP on September 30, 2012, agreed to the relief of duties of Orlando Lugo Fonte as its president and the promotion of Felix Gonzalez Viego, who for more than two years has served as the vice president over that organization.

Gonzalez Viego, 50, has a degree in economics. He has held various administrative and political responsibilities in the province of Villa Clara, where for over eight years he held the position of president of the ANAP Provincial Committee.

The plenary session gave special recognition to Lugo for his work during the years he led the campesino organization and his exemplary dedication.

The meeting was chaired by Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, the second secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba.