Havana/The Municipal Assembly of People’s Power of Venezuela, in Ciego de Ávila, approved this Wednesday the replacement of its mayor, Rafael A. Ramírez Acosta, for errors related to food management and the operation of an agricultural cooperative. The decision, adopted during an extraordinary session, joins a succession of departures of senior Cuban territorial officials in just a few days.
According to the official newspaper Invaderthe delegates approved the separation of the position after receiving a report that attributes to Ramírez Acosta three specific irregularities. The first corresponds to errors in the constitution and operation of the municipal Food Sovereignty commission, in charge of coordinating policies related to food production and supply.
The other two points directly affect the Credit and Services Cooperative (CCS) El Fortín: failures in its approval and constitution process, and irregularities in the modification of its corporate purpose. The official information does not specify which provisions were not complied with, who participated in the questioned decisions or what consequences they had for the entity.
The brief text also does not clarify whether the irregularities gave rise to an administrative or criminal investigation, or whether other officials and directors of the cooperative are being examined. The note presents the substitution as a decision of the Municipal Assembly, without announcing additional sanctions.
The note presents the substitution as a decision of the Municipal Assembly, without announcing additional sanctions
The reference to El Fortín introduces a particularly sensitive element in this substitution, since it points directly to the control of agricultural structures and the powers of local authorities to authorize their operation. Credit and service cooperatives bring together individual producers and constitute one of the organizational forms of Cuban agriculture. A modification of its corporate purpose can significantly change the economic activities that are authorized.
However, the statement does not identify what activities El Fortín intended to incorporate or modify, although it was previously mentioned in the local press that the entity produced preserves from agricultural products. Nor has information been offered about its members or their business relationships, so it is not possible to determine the economic scope of the irregularities indicated.
The dismissal coincides with two other departures from provincial authorities. On Tuesday, Miguel Díaz-Canel accepted the resignation of the governor of Camagüey, Jorge Enrique Sutil Sarabia, who, according to the official statement, acknowledged errors incompatible with his responsibility. Previously, independent journalist José Luis Tan Estrada had denounced alleged irregularities related to fuel allocations, contracts with MSMEs and resources from state companies.
A day later, the resignation of Yelenys Tornet Menéndez, governor of Las Tunas, was announced. In this case, the authorities alleged “family and personal limitations” that prevented him from continuing. Her provisional replacement will be Vice Governor Juana Yamilka Viñals Suárez.
The three movements also coincide with a tour by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz through several provinces to evaluate the so-called Economic and Social Transformations. The tour began in Camagüey and continued through Granma and Las Tunas. In his interventions, Marrero has insisted on increasing the role of municipalities and overcoming the obstacles that hinder the application of economic measures.
