Havana, Sep 4 (IANS): Gen. Julio Casas Regueiro, Cuban defence minister and a longtime aide of President Raul Castro, has died of a heart failure at the age of 75, Xinhua reported.
Gen. Casas Regueiro died at 1.20 a.m. Saturday, the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party (CCP) said. A day of national mourning will be held Monday, it said.
The late minister was succeeded by his first deputy Gen. Leopoldo Cita Frias. Casas Regueiro replaced Raul Castro as head of the armed forces in 2008.
His body was cremated according to his wishes, state media reported.