04/05/2010 - 07:35:20
President Raul Castro has fired Cuba's Transportation Minister for
professional mistakes and replaced the head of the Sugar Ministry after
he admitted incompetence, the latest in a growing series of leadership
shake-ups.
A statement read during the nightly newscast said Jorge Luis Sierra was
removed as transportation minister, a role he got in February 2009.
Mr Sierra also forfeited his post as a vice president of the Council of
Ministers, a governing body that serves as Cuba's Cabinet - although its
vice presidents are not considered vice presidents of the country.
Army General Antonio Enrique Luzon replaced Mr Sierra on the council,
among many military leaders to be promoted within the government.
Raul Castro served as defence minister for nearly five decades before
taking over as president - first temporarily, then permanently - after
his older brother, Fidel, underwent intestinal surgery in 2006.
The new Transportation Minister is Cesar Ignacio Arocha.
Mr Sierra lost his jobs due to "errors committed while in the act of
carrying out his duties", the statement said, but no further details was
given. A government spokeswoman said she could not add anything.
Sugar Minister Luis Manuel Avila also was dismissed, but the newscast
said that "he asked for his removal, recognising the deficiencies in his
work". Orlando Selso was named to the post.
On March 23, Cuba replaced Attorney General Juan Escalona Reguera, who
fought under Fidel and Raul Castro in the rebel army that toppled
dictator Fulgencio Batista on New Year's Day 1959. Health problems were
cited as the reason.
That move came less than two weeks after the government abruptly
dismissed another veteran revolutionary, Rogelio Acevedo, who had
overseen its airlines and airports and as a teenager fought alongside
the Castros and Ernesto "Che" Guevara.
No formal reason was given for Mr Acevedo's removal, but an opinion
piece posted on a state internet site by a prominent Cuban academic
referred to rumours that Mr Acevedo has been under house arrest for
corruption.
http://www.breakingnews.ie/world/castro-reshuffles-cabinet-again-456254.html
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