By: Tiana Cole | HGPTV Nightly News
Good evening and welcome to Tuesday’s edition of the Regional News. We begin in Cuba, where one of the country’s most high-profile corruption cases in decades has reached a dramatic conclusion.
Former Cuban Economy Minister Sentenced to Life for Espionage
Cuba’s Supreme Popular Tribunal on Monday sentenced former Economy Minister Alejandro Gil to life in prison after a closed-door trial found him guilty of espionage. Gil, once a trusted adviser to President Miguel Díaz-Canel, also faced a series of corruption charges—including bribery, falsification of public documents, influence peddling, and tax evasion—in a separate trial.
For those offences, he received an additional 20-year sentence, to run concurrently.
Gil was widely seen as the architect of Cuba’s controversial 2021 monetary reforms, which exacerbated hardship in an already struggling economy. He was dismissed in February 2024 and had not been seen publicly until the trials began, fueling months of speculation about his whereabouts.
He has ten days to appeal the ruling.
Cuba Denies Approaching the U.S. About Post-Maduro Venezuela
Cuba’s government has firmly rejected media reports claiming it reached out to the United States to discuss a future for the region without Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Vice Foreign Minister Josefina Vidal called the reports “absurd and false,” insisting no such conversations took place.
The denial comes amid a surge in U.S. military activity targeting alleged drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific. Washington has long accused Maduro—one of Cuba’s closest allies—of profiting from the narcotics trade. Cuba has condemned the U.S. operations, accusing Washington of attempting to destabilize and overthrow the Venezuelan government.
Trinidad & Tobago: Teen Finds Mother and Her Partner Dead in Suspected Murder-Suicide
Authorities in Trinidad and Tobago are investigating a tragic incident after a 13-year-old boy discovered the bodies of his mother and her partner early Tuesday morning.
Police say 42-year-old Angel Lutchman was murdered by her partner, 29-year-old Shazad Muhammad, who then took his own life inside Lutchman’s home. The teenager, who had spent the night at a nearby relative’s house, arrived home around 7:20 a.m. and made the horrific discovery before rushing to alert neighbours.
Investigators confirmed that Lutchman sustained a throat wound. Her brother, Mark Lutchman, told reporters that the couple had been involved in a violent two-year relationship, one the family never supported due to repeated disputes and the age difference.
Muhammad, who worked with Digicel, lived just five houses away.
Police investigations are ongoing.
