Cuban Interior Minister Abelardo Colome Ibarra has resigned for health reasons.

Colome, 76 was also one of Cuba's vice presidents and part of the 14-member Politburo, the highest authority within the ruling Communist Party. "Lately, I've noticed that my health is not the same and I feel obliged to present a formal resignation to my high level political, state, government and military positions," Colome said in a letter to Cuban President Raul Castro.

He that he has devoted 60 years to the Cuban Revolution. Colome took on the post of interior minister in 1989 and will be replaced by Carlos Fernandez Gondin, until now the deputy minister.  Fernandez Gondin has the military rank of major general, is a deputy of the Cuban parliament and influential member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC).