Behind the Accusations against Cuba’s ex-Economy Minister
By Francisco Acevedo
HAVANA TIMES – The dismissal of Alejandro Gil as Minister of Economy and Planning of Cuba about a month ago seemed to be just another one, within the periodic cleansing carried out by the Cuban Government. However, everything changed this past week when corruption accusations surfaced and an investigation was opened against him.
Let’s remember that when he was dismissed, President Miguel Díaz-Canel sent him a thank-you message through social media and added that he still had “tasks” to accomplish. Gil responded to this message saying that it was an honor to work with Díaz-Canel. “I’m at your service,” he wrote. Thus, everything seemed to indicate that things had ended on good terms and it was just a facelift because, in reality, no one can fix the Cuban economy.
Many of us thought we would see the cork technique again, which always floats, and in this case, it means reinventing oneself as the director of any state company. Then, after a couple of years, moving to Miami to live the sweet life as if nothing had happened.
However, Gil was arrested this week and accused of corruption.
The president wrote on social media that even Gil acknowledged his “serious mistakes,” resigned from his positions, and from the Communist Party of Cuba. Diaz Canel warned that the enemy would unleash a great campaign to take advantage of the fallen tree, but said the people will remain with the Revolution, “as they have always been accustomed to.” Nothing out of the ordinary.
In essence, either Díaz-Canel knew nothing about it (in fact, he congratulated him on his birthday days after his dismissal), or he was also being investigated to see if he was involved, because after lavishing praise, the opposite happened, and an investigation like this is not built in a week.
In practice, I believe this is another smokescreen to separate the dignitary from his accomplice, as happened in 1989 with General Arnaldo Ochoa, who along with his entourage were the only corrupt ones according to the dictatorship, regardless of the fact that he moved in high circles with public money.
First, it is necessary to determine the amount of his embezzlement, and mention how many streets could be fixed, how many medicines could be acquired, how many ambulances, how many tons of flour to make the bread that this month that has only reached Havana?
While he publicly defended propaganda, in collusion with the regime, it appears this spokesperson for the absurd was doing his business and thought that no one was watching him because of his cronyism, but none of that, here everyone is suspicious.
In fact, everything unraveled after a complaint made on a Miami television station, and the family of the former official found out about his arrest through Cuba’s National Television News, because they were only informed that he was taken away to clarify some things after his home was searched.
Also, through social media, it was learned about a private business in Ciego de Ávila whose owner was arrested, and which is linked to Gil, with several storage facilities at its disposal and international contracts related to the processing of fresh fruits and vegetables, juices, nectars, and tomato-derived products.
Of course, all this needs to be carefully analyzed in light of the investigations, but coincidentally, after the bootlicker was sent packing, the company owner was immediately arrested, before the corruption charge against Gil was made.
Another hypothesis refers to a mule who tried to bring in a hundred thousand dollars to the United States, a Cuban-American woman detained at Tampa airport in early February when returning from Cuba. Since her arrest, Mirtza Ocaña Lara cooperated with US authorities and repeatedly mentioned Gil.
The 38-year-old US citizen made at least 45 trips to Havana in a year, something completely unheard of, but all that is now the work of the Ministry of the Interior (MININT), the Armed Forces (FAR), or State Security, to see if they focus on what they should and not on repressing the people.
It is not known if we will have a public trial like the one in 2011 against former Minister of Food Industry Alejandro Roca, the last big boss who was exposed to public ridicule. Things don’t look good for the brother of María Victoria Gil, the former television presenter who defended him as an upright man a month ago.
Let’s remember that since he was appointed to the position, there were allegations against him for suspicious ties to his sister’s businesses in Spain and Cuba, and he was credited with creating private businesses in the areas of agro-industrial production and tourism services, but all that was silenced and forgotten… until now.
Neither the ineffable Con Filo program nor the Round Table show have gone beyond reproducing the official note, waiting for what will be dictated from above to see if they pile on with all their verbosity or let it go, which is also an option, although much less likely, especially after the uproar caused.
The only way for the latter to happen is if it is impossible to believe that Gil was acting behind the back of the Communist Party/Government leadership, but in this country, anything can happen because we are the perfect setting for magical realism.