Cuba's Most Powerful General, Who Controlled Much of the Island's Economy, Is Dead
Cuba's Most Powerful General, Who Controlled Much of the Island's Economy, Is Dead
"Cuba may be heading toward a period of greater uncertainty and enhanced repression," said AS/COA's Eric Farnsworth to the Miami Herald.
Cuba’s most powerful general, Luis Alberto Rodríguez López-Calleja, who controlled most of the island’s economy and was set to become a key player in a future political transition, died suddenly Friday morning, the Communist Party newspaper Granma said.
Rodríguez López-Calleja, 62, died of cardiorespiratory arrest early Friday, Granma said in a two-paragraph report.
The general was the head of a company within the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces known as GAESA, which controls much of Cuba’s tourism, real estate development, supermarkets, gas stations and many other profitable businesses. […]
“Cuba’s governance is largely a family affair, and Rodríguez López-Calleja’s sudden death opens the door to individuals jockeying within the regime to take over his powerful portfolio,” said Eric Farnsworth, the vice president of the Americas Society/Council of the Americas. “That, coupled with the upcoming anniversary of the July 11 protests, indicates Cuba may be heading toward a period of greater uncertainty and enhanced repression.”…
