From Power to Seizure: The Properties Set to be Confiscated from Gil After Conviction

The Cuban Supreme People's Court (TSP) confirmed on Friday the conviction of former Cuban minister Alejandro Gil Fernández, dismissing his appeals and imposing additional sanctions that include the confiscation of assets. While the official TSP statement did not specify which properties are to be affected, the implications are significant.

In light of these developments, María Victoria Gil, the sister of the former official, spoke to journalist Mario J. Pentón. She revealed that the execution of the confiscation—previously on hold during the appeal process—would now proceed. This includes homes where relatives reside, among them a young child.

According to María Victoria Gil, the properties subject to confiscation include two residences. The first is the Miramar house where Alejandro Gil lived, a two-story dwelling located in the Miramar district of Playa municipality, specifically at 24, between Primera and Tercera. This residence houses Gil's family members: his wife, Gina María González García; his daughter, Laura María Gil González; her husband; and their three-year-old daughter.

The second property is the home of Alejandro Gil's mother-in-law. María Victoria emphasized that this house belongs to an elderly woman nearing 90 years old, who "has nothing to do with any of this."

On Friday, the TSP upheld Gil's life sentence for espionage, along with an additional 20-year sentence for corruption-related crimes, including embezzlement, bribery, tax evasion, and money laundering, and other supplemental penalties. Nevertheless, the official statement did not list specific properties or assets to be seized.

María Victoria Gil noted that the confiscation process "had not been executed" due to the appeal, but with the rejection of the appeals, "the asset seizure will now proceed."

The country's highest court has closed the ordinary legal avenues to overturn the decision. In an official statement, the Supreme Court explained that Gil "deceived the country's leadership and the people he was supposed to represent, causing harm to the economy."

Alejandro Gil was removed from his positions in February 2024, with his arrest and the launch of a judicial investigation announced a month later. At that time, "serious errors" were identified. By November, the Republic's Attorney General had formally charged him with 11 offenses, including espionage, which added a severe political and criminal dimension to the case beyond initial expectations.