HAVANA, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who took office on April 19, presented his new cabinet to the National Assembly, Cuba's parliament, on Saturday.
The 34-member Council of Ministers, including nine new appointments, was approved by lawmakers.
Among the new ministers are Iris Quinones Rojas, heading the ministry of food industry; Betsy Diaz Velazquez at domestic trade; and Alejandro Gil Fernandez, leading economy and planning in place of Ricardo Cabrisas, who remains the council's vice president.
Jose Angel Portal Miranda heads public health, with his predecessor, Roberto Morales, now serving as vice president of the cabinet; and Raul Garcia Barreiro leads energy and mines.
Jorge Luis Perdomo Di-Lella becomes minister of informatics and communications, promoted from deputy minister. Award-winning poet and editor Alpidio Alonso Grau, 55, takes over the ministry of culture, replacing writer Abel Prieto, who had served in the office for two terms.
Oscar Manuel Silveira Martinez, former vice president of the Supreme Court, is the new minister of justice.
Antonio Rodriguez Rodriguez leads the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources, with his predecessor Ines Maria Chapman appointed one of the new two vice presidents of the Council of Ministers.
The rest of the cabinet members were previously appointed by Raul Castro, former Cuban president and current first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba.
