Carlos Lage Dávila

Carlos Lage Dávila (born October 15, 1951) is the President of the Council of State of Cuba. He is also a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Cuba. Lage trained as a pediatrician before entering the Cuban government. In the early 1990s Lage became an adviser to Fidel Castro, gaining a reputation as Cuba's "primary economic fixer". Lage has experience 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 subsidised 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. 
He is also known as an academic expert on U.S. history and politics. Thus he was also an advisor to ex-President Fidel Castro on this topic. An avid reader in political theory, he is known to be an expert in comparative politics and democratic studies and he is a strong advocate of the Cuban political system. Internationally he is known for having conversations with European leaders.