Miami, United States. – The Yosítecreo Feminist Platform in Cuba and the Magazine Gender Observatory Tense wings (OGAT) They denounced this Thursday Two new femicides that occurred in Cuba in January and February of this year, respectively. Both cases involve older adults.
The first reported feminicide occurred on February 11 in San Miguel del Padrón, Havana. Bertha, a senior citizen, was killed in her home by her grandson, with whom she shared housing in the desire. “It has been confirmed that the aggressor, who was imprisoned, had a history of violence,” the organizations said.
“This family femicide draws attention to the situation of older adult women in Cuba and their permanent role of caregivers, even when they should already receive care,” they added Yosítecreo in Cuba and the OGAT.
The second macho crime took place on January 7 in the City of Artemisa, where Julia Safón Álvarez, 61, was killed in her home by her partner, who subsequently committed suicide. The victim survives two daughters of legal age.
The feminicides were documented from information disclosed by press media, citizenship and activists, and then verified by the OGAT and Yosítecreo in Cuba through community sources.
Until February 20, 2025, these observatories have registered five femicides in the country and are investigating new alerts in Artemis, Matanzas, Camagüey and Santiago de Cuba.
At the end of 2024, both groups reported 55 femicides that occurred on the island throughout the year. They also denounced several attempts at feminicide, in addition to six cases pending access to police investigations and two murders of men for gender reasons.
Both the OGAT and Yosítecreo in Cuba have reiterated the urgency that the Cuban government declares an “state of emergency for gender violence.” They have also advocated the implementation of an integral law that effectively combines sexist violence. “It is imperative that concrete measures are taken to protect women and prevent more femicides,” both organizations insisted.
In the first semester of 2024, both groups verified 28 femicides, which represents a 43% decrease compared to the same period of the previous year. However, they attributed this reduction mainly to the growing difficulties to confirm information, rather than a real decrease in violence.
Feminicide is not typified as a specific crime in the Cuban Criminal Code. The terms “feminicide” or “macho crime” rarely appear in state media, which only report exceptionally about this type of violence.
Last August, the Government of Cuba reported that, in judgments made in 2023, the courts had identified a total of 110 women over 15 killed by their partners or ex -partners. A recent report by the Attorney General, Yamila Peña, reveals that 72% of the victims were between 25 and 59 years old, 84% of the aggressors were couples or ex -partners, and 31% had a criminal record for violent events.
At the end of July, the authorities approved the creation of a national system for the “registration, attention, monitoring and monitoring” of sexist violence in the country. However, feminist organizations consider that these measures are insufficient and demand more forceful actions.
“Without an official recognition of the seriousness of the problem and without laws that effectively protect women, femicides will continue to occur,” said Yosítecreo and the OGAT.
