Miguel Díaz-Canel affirmed this Thursday that the country will wage an “all-out war” against the “bureaucrats, the indolent” and corruption, during the closing of the ordinary session of the National Assembly of People’s Power.
Without directly mentioning the former Minister of Economy Alejandro Gilthe president assured that the bureaucracy, indolence and corruption are “burdens” that slow down the development of the country and in which “betrayal nests.”
“The bureaucrats, the indolent and the corrupt are the very denial of the revolution, because their attitudes reflect a deep contempt for the people,” said Díaz-Canel.
He added that “the antidote is in the people, which sooner or later makes the mask of the simulator fall,” the agency reported. EFE.
Life sentence for Alejandro Gil Fernández for espionage and corruption
Corruption in Cuba and the scandal of the Gil case
The president drew attention to practices such as the diversion of resources and other administrative irregularities, in a context marked by the recent ruling of the Supreme People’s Court against Gil.
The former deputy prime minister was sentenced for crimes including espionage, bribery and theft and damage of documents.
According to the Supreme Court, The former minister took advantage of the powers of his position to obtain personal benefitsreceive money from foreign firms and bribe other officials.
According to the court, these events constitute “treason to the Homeland”, one of the most serious crimes in Cuban legislation.
Gil, a close collaborator of Díaz-Canel and member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), headed the Ministry of Economy and Planning between 2018 and 2024.
| Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, leader of the Cuban Revolution, attended this Thursday the final session of the @AsambleaCubawhich took place at the Convention Palace and was linked by videoconference with the deputies of all the provinces. pic.twitter.com/4mqmiTkfgM
— Presidency Cuba (@PresidenciaCuba) December 19, 2025
Endless economic crisis: Díaz-Canel recognizes his own mistakes
A good part of the presidential speech was dedicated to the country’s economic situation, the central topic of this parliamentary session, held in a reduced manner and by videoconference due to the crisis that the island is going through.
Díaz-Canel recognized that the current situation is not “just another crisis,” but rather the result of “distortions” and “own errors” in macroeconomic management.
“No one in Cuba needs to be explained that the economy is in tension. You feel it in the lines, in your pocket, in the blackouts, in the transportation that does not arrive and in the food plate that is scarce,” he said.
The president listed among the main problems the decrease in gross domestic product, high inflation, shortages, the energy crisis and the fall in foreign income.
Along these lines, the Minister of Economy, Joaquín Alonso, announced that the Government foresees a “discreet” growth of 1% for 2026, a figure similar to that projected for this year, which will not be met, given that the GDP contracted again.
