14ymedio, Havana, 6 April 2024 — In a new movement of its provincial cadres, on Friday the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) “released” Luis Antonio Torres Iríbar from his position as first secretary of the provincial committee of that political organization in Havana. A brief note announced that the official will take on “new tasks.”
Iríbar – at the head of Havana since 2018 – is the fifth of the senior officials dismissed within the organization so far this year. His position will now be occupied by Liván Izquierdo Alonso, who was dismissed as first secretary in the province of Ciego de Ávila on March 16.
The departure of Torres Iríbar was decided in a plenary session attended by Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, who is also the first secretary of the PCC. The brief note adds that Roberto Morales Ojeda, member of the political bureau and organizational secretary of the Central Committee, was also present at the meeting.
In addition, an Official Gazette published this Friday announces that the governors and vice-governors of the Cuban provinces of Santiago de Cuba, Villa Clara and Matanzas will be elected on May 4. The election of the three local leaders will be carried out, at the proposal of Miguel Díaz-Canel, through the vote of the delegates of the local assemblies, as stipulated in the Constitution, the document adds.
The regional positions remained empty since the former governor of Santiago de Cuba, Beatriz Johnson, was appointed in February by the PCC as first secretary in the region and Mario Felipe Sabines became the first secretary of Matanzas. Alberto López Díaz also left his position as governor of Villa Clara in March to take on the Ministry of Food Industry.
Torres Iríbar had very difficult moments during his time at the head of the PCC in Havana. In the