Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel on Friday fired his economy minister following delays in recently announced measures to increase fuel and transport prices, state media reported.
Cuba’s Council of State, under the leadership of the president, has appointed Central Bank Governor Joaquín Alonso Vázquez to replace outgoing Economy Minister Alejandro Gil.
The move came days after the government postponed a petrol price hike scheduled for February 1, saying its implementation was hampered by a cyber attack from outside the communist-ruled island nation.
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Late last year, the Cuban government said it would have to either raise prices for fuel and electricity or cut rations of basic goods.
This image depicts the Cuban flag. (Universal Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
At the time, Díaz-Canel said difficult times required difficult measures. At the time, Economy Minister Gil said Cuba’s economy would shrink by 1-2% in 2023, with inflation reaching around 30%.
The government said fuel prices would need to be increased or the amount of food and other essentials on the government’s ration book would need to be reduced.
Cuba’s economic crisis is already severe, with hundreds of thousands of people leaving the country for the United States.
Mr. Díaz-Canel also fired Elva Rosa Pérez, Minister of Science, Technology, and Environment, after more than a decade in the position. Her successor will be Eduardo Martínez, president of the Cuban pharmaceutical company BioCuba Pharma and a member of Congress.
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State media also reported that the Ministry of Food Industry will be headed by Alberto López, the governor of Villa Clara.
