Manuel Marrero Cruz (born 11 July 1963) is a Cuban politician currently serving as the Prime Minister of Cuba, and the first since re-establishment of the office of Prime Minister in December 2019 after the 43-year abolition of the position dating from 1976. The last Prime Minister before the abolition of the office was Fidel Castro.[1] Marrero is the first person to hold the position of Prime Minister of Cuba in 43 years.[2] A member of the Communist Party of Cuba, he served as the country's long-time Minister of Tourism from 2004 until his appointment to the office of Prime Minister in December 2019.[3] During his tenure as tourism minister, Cuban tourism witnessed massive[citation needed] resilience.[citation needed] Marrero is an architect[4] and worked in Gaviota, the tourism arm of the Cuban military, where he also held the rank of colonel.[5]
Manuel Marrero Cruz | |
|---|---|
 Marrero in 2022 | |
| 18th Prime Minister of Cuba | |
| Assumed office 21 December 2019 | |
| President | Miguel Díaz-Canel |
| Deputy | Ricardo Cabrisas |
| Preceded by | Miguel Díaz-Canel (President of the Council of Ministers) |
| Minister of Tourism | |
| In office 2004 – 21 December 2019 | |
| President | Fidel Castro Raúl Castro Miguel Díaz-Canel |
| Succeeded by | Juan Carlos García Grada |
| Member of the National Assembly of People's Power | |
| Assumed office 19 April 2023 | |
| Constituency | Holguín |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Manuel Marrero Cruz 11 July 1963 Holguín, Cuba |
| Political party | Communist Party |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Republic of Cuba |
| Branch/service |  Revolutionary Armed Forces |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Unit | Cuban Revolutionary Army |
Early life and career
editManuel Marrero Cruz was born in July 1963, in the eastern province of Holguín. He is an architect by training and joined the tourism industry in 1990. He began as an investor in the Gaviota Group and later was head of the technical investment group, deputy director and general director of the Río de Luna hotel and then deputy delegate of Gaviota for the eastern provinces. He was general director of the Varadero Azul hotel complex, first vice president and finally president of Gaviota. In 2004, he took over the Ministry of Tourism, appointed by Fidel Castro. He remained in office until December 2019 when he was named Prime Minister of Cuba. His successor in the Ministry of Tourism was Juan Carlos García Grada.
Prime Minister of Cuba (2019–present)
editAppointment
editFollowing the 2019 Cuban constitutional referendum, the office of Prime Minister of Cuba was reinstated for the first time since Fidel Castro last occupied it in 1976. President Miguel Díaz-Canel formally nominated Marrero to serve as Prime Minister, and his nomination as PM was unanimously ratified by 594 deputies of the National Assembly.
Soon after his appointment, controversy arose due to his son's opulent lifestyle, which contrasted with the daily life of the Cuban population.[6]
The term limit for prime ministers under the new Cuban constitution is five years.[7][8] Four years later he was also re-elected to the National Assembly of People's Power. At the first session, in the spring of 2023, he was again re-elected as head of the Cuban government.
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ "Cuba names Manuel Marrero Cruz as first prime minister since 1976". BBC News. 21 December 2019. Archived from the original on 21 January 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- ^ Oppmann, Patrick (21 December 2019). "Cuba names Manuel Marrero Cruz prime minister". CNN. Archived from the original on 21 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- ^ Frank, Marc (21 December 2019). "Cuba names prime minister in move to lighten presidential load". Reuters. Archived from the original on 21 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- ^ "Cuba names first PM in decades as new constitution decentralises presidential power". ABC News. 22 December 2019. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- ^ Mazzei, Patricia (8 November 2017). "Rubio: 'Bureaucrats' to blame for softening Trump Cuba policy". Archived from the original on 6 April 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- ^ Martinez, Alejandro (21 December 2019). "Hijo de Manuel Marrero, Primer Ministro de Cuba, se da la buena vida en la isla" [Son of Manuel Marrero, Prime Minister of Cuba, lives the good life on the island]. Cuba en Miami (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "Cuba chooses first prime minister since 1970s". Global News. 21 December 2019. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- ^ "Cuba is about to name first prime minister in 40 years". The Yucatan Times. 21 December 2019. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
External links
edit- Biography by CIDOB (in Spanish)
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