Carlos Lage Dávila

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Carlos Lage Dávila (born October 15, 1951) is a Cuban politician, member of the Politburo and current executive Secretary of the Council of Ministers of Cuba. Though Fidel Castro is currently both President and Prime Minister of Cuba, in his role as executive secretary, Lage has been described as Cuba's de facto prime minister.^[1]

Lage trained as a pediatrician, before entering the Cuban government. In the early 1990's Lage became an adviser to Fidel Castro, gaining a reputation as Cuba's "primary economic fixer". Lage is currently responsible for coordinating energy, trade and currency issues. Lage is also credited with Cuba's national Energy Revolution programme and the collaboration with other countries in this area. In the early 1990s, during the economic era known in Cuba as the Special Period he initiated a series of economic reforms that allowed for limited land holdings and small business initiatives. More recently, Lage negotiated a guaranteed supply of subsidized oil from Venezuela, in exchange for medicines and up to 2,000 Cuban doctors and health professionals to live in Venezuela for a time and treat that country's poor. The scheme incorporates the Venezuelan Mission Barrio Adentro welfare program.