LatinNews Daily Report - 15 June 2012

POLITICS | Castro cleans house again. The state daily ‘Granma’ reported on 13 June that two ministers had been replaced. The communications minister, Medardo Díaz Toledo, will rejoin the armed forces and be replaced by deputy minister, Maimir Mesa Ramos, while the minister of basic industries, Tomas Benítez Hernández, was reassigned to other duties and replaced by his deputy Alfredo López Valdes. There was no explanation for the changes but foreign press outlets suggested fresh corruption scandals in both ministries. In the communications ministry the rumours centre on the state telecoms company Etecesa and the new undersea fibre optic cable from Venezuela. In the basic industries ministry there are allegations of misdeeds at a nickel mine, Moa. Separately, the Miami press has also reported on the rumoured arrest of the right hand aide to the president of the Cuban parliament, Ricardo Alarcón. The man in question, identified as Miguel Alvarez, has reportedly been detained along with his wife as part of corruption investigations. The report prompted speculation about Alarcón’s position. Alarcón has featured on the list of potential future transition leaders.

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