Cuba’s Minister of Interior Dies
HAVANA TIMES — The Minister of Interior of Cuba, Carlos Fernandez Gondin, died on Saturday at the age of 78, “after complications of a chronic illness,” reported dpa news.
“The conduct of Gen. Carlos Fernandez Gondin is an example of loyalty to the Communist Party, the people and the Revolution,” noted the Cuban government in an official statement.
No mention was made as to who will replace the minister, which oversees State Security and its many thousands of employees and collaborators.
During the struggle against the Batista dictatorship Fernandez Gondin fought with the rebel “Segundo Frente” (Second front) column led by Raul Castro in eastern Cuba.
After the revolution triumphed in 1959, he held numerous posts in the Army reaching the rank of Major General.
In October 2015 he was promoted from first vice minister of Interior to the minister when Abelardo Colome resigned for health reasons.
At the risk of appearing insensitive, another “historic” has passed away. So what? None of them matter more than Raul in preserving the last vestiges of power in their failed revolution. His time is running out fast. Politically and biologically.
GLOBAL SECURITY: The principal intelligence collection arms of the Cuban government are the Directorate General of Intelligence (DGI) of Ministry of the Interior, and the Military Counterintelligence Department of the Ministry of Revolutionary Armed Forces. Both have been closely associated with the Soviet and Russian intelligence services. The relationship between these services is likely to continue based upon the June 14, 1993 agreement on military cooperation between Russia and Cuba.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/world/cuba/dgi.htm
RIP Mario Soares
Fernandez 78 had replaced Abelardo Colme 89, who resigned in 2015 for health reasons. The rule of the octogenarian’s with ties to 1959 revolution is ending. A key challenge is to pass down the legitimacy that came with leading the revolution to a new generation of leadership. In the long run the concent of the governed will depend on improving living standards. The people of today will judge against what is possible in this time period, not 1917 or 1959. Not looking good for beuracrats that are holding up progress.