ANKARA

Cuba’s former Economy Minister Alejandro Gil Fernandez has been sentenced to life imprisonment on espionage charges by the People’s Supreme Court, state media reported.

The court said Gil abused his authority for personal gain, accepted payments from foreign companies, and bribed officials, but it did not disclose the nature of the alleged espionage or identify the foreign entities involved.

In a separate case, Gil received a 20-year sentence for bribery, document forgery, and tax evasion.

The ruling marks one of Cuba’s highest-profile corruption and espionage cases in decades.

Gil served as minister of economy and planning from 2018 to 2024 and as deputy prime minister from 2019, becoming one of President Miguel Diaz-Canel’s closest aides.

He has been held in an undisclosed location since March 2024, when authorities first announced criminal proceedings against him. No further updates were released until the court issued its verdict.