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The secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) in the province of Las Tunas, Walter Simón Noris, was removed from his position after less than a year in office, according to reported this Tuesday by the party's official body, without specifying the reasons for his dismissal.
Instead, an official with experience in positions as a secretary of the Communist Party at the municipal level in Trinidad, Sancti Spíritus, and Isla de la Juventud was appointed.
According to a note published by the PCC, the decision was made by the Central Committee and communicated in a meeting with local leaders, where it was announced that the substitute for Simón Noris will be Osbel Lorenzo Rodríguez, who was serving as the First Secretary of the Municipal Committee of Isla de la Juventud.
The dismissal of Simón Noris adds to a series of abrupt changes in the political leadership of the province. In October 2024, Governor Jaime Ernesto Chiang Vega and Vice Governor Ernesto Luis Cruz Reyes were removed from their positions due to "violations in the performance of their duties," according to official reports, which, as usual, did not specify the reasons for these decisions.
Simón Noris, 55 years old and a graduate in Physical Culture, took over the leadership of the PCC in Las Tunas in April 2024 replacing Manuel René Pérez Gallego, who had held the position since June 2019.
Before his appointment, Simón Noris served as a member of the executive bureau of the Provincial Committee of the Party in Camagüey and had 30 years of experience as a political cadre.
His career includes roles as a leader of the Union of Young Communists (UJC) in Nuevitas, second secretary of the UJC in Camagüey, and first secretary of the Party in the municipalities of Guáimaro and Camagüey.
During his brief tenure in Las Tunas, Simón Noris faced various challenges. In May 2024, just a month after taking office, he publicly reprimanded the local leaders for the ongoing failures in key sectors such as agriculture, stating that "everything is failing" in the province.
Furthermore, in March 2025, he expressed his concern about the rise in crime, with over 300 offenses reported in a single week, having a significant impact on livestock and affecting state entities.
On his part, his successor, Lorenzo Rodríguez holds a degree in Education and a Master's in Management, and has held various positions within the Cuban party structure.
In March 2022, during an extraordinary session of the Provincial Committee of the PCC in Sancti Spíritus, his transfer was approved to attend to the political-ideological activities of the Provincial Bureau, a role he held until December of that same year.
Subsequently, in December 2022, he was relieved of his position in the Provincial Bureau of the PCC in Sancti Spíritus to take on new responsibilities within the organization, after previously holding the positions of first secretary in the municipal committees of the Party in Trinidad and Sancti Spíritus.
In January 2023, Lorenzo Rodríguez was appointed as the first secretary of the Municipal Committee of the PCC in Isla de la Juventud, replacing Zunilda García Garcés.
His place in the Isle of Youth was taken by the appointed Rafael Ernesto Licea Mojena, who previously served as president of the Municipal Assembly of the People's Power in the same territory.
This series of dismissals reflects a notable instability in the political leadership of Las Tunas, which could affect the continuity and effectiveness of the policies implemented in the region.
The lack of transparency regarding the reasons behind these changes creates uncertainty and questions about the ability of provincial leadership to tackle the socioeconomic challenges facing the population.
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