Ramiro Valdes Menendez, a close friend and ally of brothers Fidel and Raul Castro, who had been Cuba's deputy prime minister since 2009 and previously minister of the interior, has died at the age of 94.
His death was announced by Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel.
“The death of the comandante of the [Cuban] revolution, Ramiro Valdes Menendez, is a deep pain, like the loss of a father“, Diaz-Canel wrote on his social media page X.
“With deep sorrow, the leadership of the party, state and government informs our people that on Sunday morning, On June 21, the historical commander of the revolution, Ramiro Valdés Menéndez, hero of the Republic of Cuba and of labor, passed away,” said a statement released by the official Cubadebate portal.
“He had a brilliant and remarkable history of service to the nation.“
The cause of Valdés Menéndez’s death was not reported, with the portal noting that details will be published later.