CUBAN President Miguel Diaz-Canel has named Manuel Marrero Cruz as the country’s prime minister, a nonexistent role within Cuban politics for more than four decades.
Marrero served as the Cuba’s tourism minister for almost 16 years and was named prime minister for a five-year term, according to Cuba’s state news agency, ACN.
He was a colonel in Cuba’s armed forces before being tasked with heading the state tourism industry, which provided badly needed hard currency for the communist-run island.
Fidel Castro was the country’s last prime minister. He held the post from 1959 to December 1976, when he took the title of president of the State Council, a title which replaced the posts of president and prime minister.
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Marrero’s appointment was unanimously ratified by the 594 deputies of the Cuba’s National Assembly during the Assembly’s annual end-of-the-year meeting. Parliament’s absolute majority is necessary for the appointment, ACN said.
Deputy prime ministers and other members of the Council of Ministers were appointed during Saturday’s session.
Diaz-Canel remains head of state and Raul Castro remains the first secretary of the Communist Party, where the real power lies.
The prime minister is expected to manage the day-to-day operations of the Cuban government but will still report to the president.
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