Cuba appoints Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga as Deputy Prime Minister
havana, Cuba – Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga has been appointed as a Deputy Prime Minister of Cuba, state media reported this week. Teh appointment adds Pérez-Oliva Fraga to the Council of Ministers alongside Ramiro Valdés Menéndez, Eduardo martínez Díaz, Inés María Chapman Waugh, and Jorge Luis Tapia Fonseca.
Pérez-oliva Fraga’s appointment comes as Cuba undergoes shifts in its leadership, including the recent removal of Ricardo Cabrisas as Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment. He will alternate his duties as Deputy Prime Minister with continuing as Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment,a position he previously held as First Vice Minister.
According to official reports, Pérez-Oliva Fraga is an electronic engineer who has progressed through Cuba’s business system “from the base.” He has served as General Director of the Maquimport Company and director of Business Evaluation in the Mariel Special Development Zone.
observers note Pérez-Oliva Fraga’s strong familial ties to Cuba’s political leadership. He is the grandson of Angelita Castro Ruz, a sister of Fidel and Raúl Castro, and the nephew of José Antonio Fraga Castro, former president of the pharmaceutical company Labiofam. Some analysts suggest the appointment reflects a strategy to consolidate power with trusted individuals within the Cuban government.
Currently, Pérez-oliva Fraga is also reportedly under investigation for “serious errors in the performance of his functions,” according to reports.