HAVANA - Cuba, in the latest change since President Raul Castro took office in February, has allowed doctors to perform sex change operations, a specialist at the National Center for Sex Education said on Friday.

Center director Mariela Castro, the president's daughter, has pushed for the operations and said that at least 28 people in the country of 11 million want the surgery.

The specialist, who asked not to be named, said the Public Health Ministry approved the surgery this week. Cuba's health care [1] system will perform it free of charge.