Havana, Cuba – November 1, 2025 – In a stunning development that has rocked the Cuban political establishment, prosecutors have formally charged former Minister of Economy and Planning Alejandro Gil Fernández with espionage, alongside a litany of grave offenses including bribery, embezzlement, tax evasion, money laundering, and influence peddling. The announcement, released by the Attorney General’s Office on Friday evening, marks the culmination of an investigation that began earlier this year and underscores the deepening turmoil within Cuba's leadership during one of the island nation's most severe economic crises in decades.
Gil, aged 61, held the pivotal role of Minister of Economy and Planning from 2019 until his abrupt dismissal in February 2024. At the time of his removal, Cuban authorities vaguely cited "serious errors" in his conduct, without elaborating on the nature of the allegations. The lack of transparency fueled speculation among observers, both domestically and internationally, about internal power struggles or broader anti-corruption purges within the Communist Party-led government. Now, nearly nine months later, the Attorney General’s Office has laid out a comprehensive indictment, requesting prison sentences for Gil and several unnamed co-conspirators.
According to the official statement, the charges stem from a wide array of criminal acts deemed "detrimental to economic activity." In addition to espionage—a rare and highly sensitive accusation in Cuba's tightly controlled political environment—the list includes embezzlement of public funds, acceptance of bribes, falsification of official documents, influence peddling to secure undue advantages, money laundering through undisclosed channels, tax evasion on illicit gains, violations of protocols for handling classified information, and even the theft and deliberate degradation of documents or items held in official custody. Prosecutors emphasized that these actions not only undermined state institutions but also exacerbated the country's financial woes.
The statement was notably reticent on key details. It did not identify any potential beneficiaries of the alleged espionage, nor did it name foreign governments, intelligence agencies, or entities that might have been involved. This opacity has left analysts pondering whether the charges imply ties to external adversaries, such as the United States—long a focal point of Cuban paranoia—or perhaps regional players amid shifting Latin American alliances. "Prison sentences have been requested for the accused, depending on the acts committed," the document stated curtly, without specifying potential terms or timelines for a trial. In Cuba's judicial system, where the Communist Party exerts significant influence, such cases often proceed behind closed doors, with outcomes predetermined by political considerations.
Gil's fall from grace represents one of the most high-profile scandals in Cuba since the post-revolutionary era. A career economist with a background in state planning, Gil rose through the ranks during the administration of Raúl Castro and was retained by President Miguel Díaz-Canel upon his succession in 2018. Díaz-Canel, who assumed the presidency in a carefully managed transition from the Castro brothers, positioned Gil as a key architect of economic reforms intended to navigate Cuba away from its chronic dependency on Soviet-style central planning.
Among Gil's signature initiatives were efforts to unify Cuba's dual currency system—a longstanding distortion that featured the Cuban peso (CUP) for locals and the convertible peso (CUC) for tourists and imports—culminating in the "Tarea Ordenamiento" (Ordering Task) launched in January 2021. This overhaul aimed to eliminate subsidies, devalue the official exchange rate, and stimulate private enterprise and foreign investment. Proponents hailed it as a bold step toward market-oriented adjustments within a socialist framework. However, the reforms backfired spectacularly. Inflation skyrocketed, with official figures admitting to over 70% annual increases in 2021, though independent estimates placed it closer to 500% in the informal market. The Cuban peso plummeted in value on the black market, eroding wages and savings for ordinary citizens.
Compounding these failures were external pressures: the lingering effects of U.S. sanctions tightened under the Trump administration and partially eased but not lifted under Biden; the COVID-19 pandemic, which decimated tourism—a lifeline generating billions in revenue; and natural disasters like hurricanes that ravaged infrastructure. By 2023, Cuba faced acute shortages of essentials. Power blackouts lasted up to 12 hours daily in many provinces, fuel queues stretched for miles, and food rationing became a grim reality, with the basic monthly basket covering only a fraction of nutritional needs. Medicine shortages led to preventable deaths, and emigration surged, with over 300,000 Cubans fleeing to the U.S. via irregular routes in 2022-2023 alone.
Gil, once viewed as Díaz-Canel's trusted lieutenant and a moderate voice advocating controlled liberalization, became a scapegoat for these policy missteps. His dismissal in February 2024 coincided with a cabinet reshuffle that saw him replaced by Joaquín Alonso Vázquez, a lesser-known figure from the planning ministry. Initial reports framed the move as part of a broader anti-corruption drive, but the espionage charge elevates the case to national security territory. Espionage accusations in Cuba historically carry severe penalties, often life imprisonment or execution in extreme cases, though the latter has been rare since the 1990s.
The timing of the charges is telling. Cuba's economy remains in freefall. The government projects GDP contraction for the fifth consecutive year in 2025, with inflation persisting at triple digits. Blackouts have intensified due to aging oil-fired plants and delayed Venezuelan crude shipments amid that country's own chaos. Public discontent simmers, manifested in rare protests like those in July 2021—the largest since the 1994 Maleconazo uprising. Social media, despite heavy censorship, buzzes with criticism of the leadership's incompetence.
Internationally, the case draws scrutiny. The U.S. State Department has not commented officially, but analysts suggest Washington may view it as evidence of internal rot in Havana rather than genuine espionage threats. European Union diplomats in Havana express concern over judicial transparency, echoing broader worries about human rights. Russia and China, Cuba's key allies, have remained silent, likely prioritizing strategic partnerships over domestic scandals.
Domestically, state media like Granma and Cubadebate have amplified the announcement, portraying it as proof of the government's vigilance against "counter-revolutionary elements." Yet, the lack of specifics fuels rumors. Some whisper of factional infighting within the Communist Party, with hardliners opposing any reformist tendencies Gil represented. Others speculate foreign involvement, perhaps linked to cryptocurrency schemes or offshore accounts used to bypass sanctions—common tactics in Cuba's shadow economy.
As the investigation unfolds, questions abound. How extensive was the alleged network? Did it involve other ministries, such as Tourism or Foreign Trade, which handle lucrative foreign deals? Will this lead to more purges, akin to the 2009 fallout from the "Gaviota Affair" involving tourism executives? And crucially, can Díaz-Canel weather the storm without further eroding his legitimacy?
Gil's case is emblematic of Cuba's paradoxes: a revolution that promised equality but delivered scarcity; reforms that sought renewal but sowed chaos. With no trial date set, the former minister languishes in detention, his fate a barometer for the regime's stability. For millions of Cubans enduring daily hardships, the scandal offers little solace—only a reminder that those at the top, too, face reckoning, even if justice remains opaque.
In the broader context, this episode highlights the fragility of one-party rule amid global shifts. Cuba's alliances with Russia (via military cooperation) and China (through Belt and Road investments) provide lifelines, but they cannot substitute for domestic reform. As winter approaches, with fuel shortages looming, the government faces mounting pressure to deliver results beyond indictments.
The Attorney General’s Office has promised updates, but in a system where information is a state monopoly, full disclosure seems unlikely. For now, Alejandro Gil's charges stand as a stark warning: in Cuba's high-stakes game of power and survival, even insiders are expendable.
