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The Cuban regime announced on Monday the imposition of life imprisonment for former Minister of Economy Alejandro Gil Fernández, after finding him guilty of espionage on behalf of the United States, ongoing corruption, misappropriation of official documents, tampering with seals, and other economic crimes. A second case, also concluded, added an additional 20 years to his sentence, along with confiscation of assets and a ban on holding public office.
The severity of the sentence did not surprise his family. From Spain, his sister, the lawyer and former presenter María Victoria Gil, had warned weeks before that the life sentence “was already predetermined”, asserting that the entire process was part of a political operation by the repressive apparatus.
The People's Supreme Court reported that during the oral hearings held in November, serious crimes were proven, according to their version, which justified the maximum sentence.
The official document described the former minister as a “corrupt and deceptive” official who allegedly misled the country and made classified information “available to enemy services.”
However, the most explosive accusation, the alleged spying for the CIA, was never explained publicly, nor was any evidence revealed.
This information void was filled by the most persistent voice in the case: his sister, who reported a investigation completely controlled by State Security, with “encrypted” files and without real guarantees.
"The judgment had already been made."
In interviews with Martí Noticias and El Mundo de Darwin, María Victoria stated that “Alejandro categorically denies every point related to espionage.” And although the defense, led by attorney Abel Solás, would have countered each accusation, the outcome, she said, was inevitable.
"He won't escape from life imprisonment. That sentence is predetermined," he asserted days before the court made it official.
The fall of Alejandro Gil began on February 1, 2024 with a call from Marrero informing him of his dismissal for "poor performance," his sister had noted.
Weeks later, when the former minister returned to the Prime Minister's office to submit documentation, he encountered two State Security officials, who informed him that he was under investigation.
What followed, according to the family, was confinement in houses controlled by the MININT, a case built without transparency, and a transfer to a high-security prison where he receives only 15 minutes of visitation every 15 days.
María Victoria argues that the case reveals not only an alleged crime but also "internal struggles for power," where an official becomes a scapegoat to protect others.
"In a country where the entire leadership is corrupt, they would have to judge them all," he said. "That's why they resort to espionage."
An official silence that leaves the family as the only voice
The trial concluded without official media coverage. Neither the News Broadcast nor the state press mentioned the proceedings. Family members were only allowed to attend after signing confidentiality documents, a practice that seeks, according to the sister, to “silence the victims.”
While the Tribunal assures that all guarantees were respected, the family denounces isolation, opacity, and a political campaign aimed at condemning one of the most visible faces of the disastrous "monetary ordering" and the economic crisis that has marked the lives of Cubans.
The life sentence is now official. What remains a mystery, like almost everything in Cuban power, is why did Alejandro Gil really fall?, and who his conviction protects.
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