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The sister of the former Cuban Minister of Economy, Alejandro Gil Fernández, spoke with Telemundo 51 about the legal proceedings against the former official, who is accused by the regime of serious crimes such as espionage and money laundering.
María Victoria Gil acknowledged her brother's political and moral responsibilities but denounced the lack of real justice in Cuba and the political nature of the upcoming trial.
From her residence in the Canary Islands, the former television presenter spoke out about the legal proceedings facing her brother, Alejandro Gil, who was for years one of the most visible figures in Miguel Díaz-Canel's government.
"Alejandro Gil is guilty; he is guilty of the monetary reordering, he is guilty of inflation, he is guilty of misery, he is guilty of the desperate situation our people are in. He, along with the entire leadership—Díaz-Canel, Raúl, Marrero, and all the others—are guilty and will be judged in due time when a democratic government exists in Cuba," he stated.
However, María Victoria emphasized that she does not accept him being judged by the regime that has led the country to its current debacle.
"They cannot be their executioners, their collaborators," he stressed.
The sister of the ousted leader recalled that she had warned him for years about the direction the country was taking and his role in that decline.
"I told him many times: the only dignified option you have is to resign and stand up and say, 'this system is a failure, and I am not going to be a part of it.' He didn't do it, because he trusted, he didn't believe," he said.
"And I am sure that he enjoyed the sweetness of power, like everyone else. I do not doubt that," she added.
"I apologize to the people of Cuba for the blood I share with Alejandro Gil."
The lawyer also recalled that her brother is not an economist by training but an engineer who rose through the bureaucratic apparatus of the regime more for political loyalty than for technical knowledge.
"He is an engineer in maritime transport operations. He is not an economist. He only wrote a thesis in economics, and his advisor was precisely Miguel Díaz-Canel. The mistakes he made were due to a lack of knowledge, but that does not exempt him from blame," he stated.
"I apologize to the people of Cuba for the blood I share with Alejandro Gil," he added.
Despite the criticism, he denounced that the legal process against him is a political maneuver to create a scapegoat for the national disaster.
"My brother knows many things that aren't in the best interest of a lot of people to be known... Can anyone believe that Alejandro Gil acted alone?" he questioned.
A closed trial without guarantees
The lawyer recalled that her brother was removed from his duties on February 2, 2024, and, a month later, the official news reported that he would be investigated for "serious errors." Since then, she criticized, silence and opacity have prevailed.
The former minister has been in provisional custody for over a year and a half, charged with espionage, embezzlement, bribery, tax evasion, money laundering, and forgery of public documents, among other offenses.
The Prosecutor's Office submitted the proceedings to the Supreme People's Court on October 31, and according to her sister, the trial will take place before the end of the year.
"They have established the crime of espionage specifically to have the legal protection that allows them to conduct a closed trial. In Cuba, there is no separation of powers: the State accuses, judges, and condemns. That life sentence has already been handed down," he stated.
According to María Victoria, her brother's defense - led by criminal lawyer Dr. Solar - "can do little in the face of a political decision of that magnitude." Nevertheless, she calls for international support to demand a public and transparent trial.
"I will fight for the truth even when I have no hope. My brother is devastated, but he deserves to defend himself before the Cuban people", she stated.
A family divided by power
Days ago, the ex-minister's daughter, Laura María Gil González, also broke her silence to request that her father's trial be made public.
In his message, shared on social media, he appealed to Articles 54 and 48 of the Cuban Constitution—which recognize freedom of expression and the right to honor—to demand transparency and reject official manipulation.
"I join the popular demand to hold an open trial, where anyone who wishes to participate can do so, and it is broadcast live. My father has also been demanding this since day one," wrote Laura María, who was recently an employee of the Ministry of Foreign Trade.
A case that shakes the regime
The case of Alejandro Gil, accused of a dozen offenses—including espionage, bribery, embezzlement, influence peddling, and money laundering—has shaken the foundations of the Cuban government.
The regime launched the digital campaign #CeroImpunidad, attempting to project an image of institutional discipline, while public opinion both inside and outside the island perceives the process as a political operation to distract attention from the economic and social crisis facing the country.
In that context, María Victoria Gil's words refer to her brother's guilt in the Cuban economic debacle, but also to the hypocrisy of the regime that now judges him.
"Yes, my brother is guilty of misery, of inflation, of the reorganization… but so are all those who accuse him today. He must be held accountable, but before a free people, not before his executioners," he demanded.
His testimony, a blend of pain, self-criticism, and denunciation, exposes the cracks in a system that, in his opinion, "can no longer continue."
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