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The daughter of Alejandro Gil Fernández demanded that the Prosecutor's Office provide more information regarding the espionage accusations against the former Minister of Economy and Planning.
Laura María Gil González claimed on Facebook “total transparency” in the process, including holding a public trial, broadcast live on national television, Cubavisión Internacional, and with access for foreign media.
In an extensive message, the young woman states that the official statement left “loose details” that “foster public speculation.”
In its communication, it enumerates the points that, in its opinion, the Prosecutor's Office should clarify if the "cornerstone" of the case is espionage: what exactly the accused did, which country or countries he may have served, since when, through which communication channels, what he received in return, where and in what contexts the alleged meetings took place, under whose orders, and what information he disclosed.
He also requested clarification on the alleged espionage case, what measures he would have proposed “by express order of another State,” what evidence supports these claims, and what his alias would be.
Furthermore, he requests that the governments allegedly involved issue an official statement, because —he says— this is a “very serious” accusation that goes beyond the domestic sphere and “turns it into an international case.”
He asserts that his father "remains steadfast in his defense" and that "he will not acknowledge under any circumstances any crime that has not been properly verified."
Gil's daughter invokes Articles 54 and 48 of the Constitution (freedom of expression and the right to defend one's honor) to support her request for procedural publicity, arguing that "the Cuban people deserve to know" the evidentiary elements.
He ensures that he had not spoken before due to the "commitment" of his family to protect the country's image and to avoid popular discontent or international conflict, and because he sought to respect due process and cooperate with the investigation; however, he now insists that if the State "has implemented" a Law on Transparency and Access to Public Information, it is essential to take that transparency "to its fullest expression" in this case.
Regarding the opening of the trial, she suggests that “anyone who wishes to participate”, including official and unofficial media as well as foreign networks, and states that this demand “is not just mine”: she claims that Alejandro Gil has also called for it “since day one.”
He reiterates that he will closely monitor the outcomes of the process and its political and social impact, both inside and outside of Cuba.
The author of the message emphasizes that her publication is neither offensive nor destructive, nor does it incite violence, it does not disclose state secrets, nor does it belittle institutions such as the Ministry of the Interior, the Comptroller's Office, the Prosecutor's Office, or the Presidency.
It also warns that any retaliation against her or her family would be "completely illegal" and a violation of their human rights to freedom of expression and self-defense recognized in the Constitution.
In parallel, he reaffirms his role as a "faithful witness" of the process and his father's resolve to maintain his defense without admitting to unproven crimes.
Laura María Gil's statement comes after the Attorney General of the Republic announced this Friday that it filed public criminal charges against Alejandro Miguel Gil Fernández—who served as vice prime minister and minister of Economy and Planning—and other defendants, following the completion of the criminal investigation conducted by the Ministry of the Interior.
The actions against the former vice prime minister and former minister of Economy and Planning were presented to the appropriate court, and imprisonment sanctions were requested "in accordance with the offenses committed."
The Public Prosecutor's Office specified that the request for criminal responsibility encompasses a broad range of offenses: espionage, acts detrimental to economic activity or contracting, embezzlement, bribery, forgery of public documents, tax evasion, influence peddling, money laundering, violation of classified document protection regulations, and the removal or damage of documents or other objects under official custody.
The brief official communication did not provide additional details about the progress of the case in court, aside from the submission of the proceedings and the request for prison sentences for all the accused.
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