Havana/A new feminicide was added this Thursday to the wave of sexist murders in recent weeks, raising the figure to 42 in 2025, according to the independent count carried out 14 and a half, in the absence of official information. On this occasion, according to confirmed the feminist platforms Yo Sí Te Creo in Cuba and the Alas Tensas Gender Observatory, the victim is a 40-year-old teacher, Yinet Labañino Acosta, who was murdered on Monday, December 8, in her own home, located in the town of Cabacú, municipality of Baracoa, in the province of Guantánamo.
According to both organizations, the alleged aggressor not only ended Labañino’s life, but also that of her husband, in an act that they classify as “murder of a man for gender reasons,” motivated by “issues related to machismo and misogyny.” The crime leaves two minor daughters orphaned by their mother and father.
This is the third gender-related murder that has been confirmed in the country so far this month. On December 5, the teenager was stabbed by her boyfriend at her home. Heidi Garcia Orozcoin Jovellanos, Matanzas.
It was followed, on December 7, by the death of Elianne Reyes Gomez26 years old and mother of a little girl, who was murdered by her partner in her own home in Madruga, Mayabeque.
That of Yinet Labañino is the third gender-related murder that has been confirmed in the country so far this month
The previous weeks were also marked by violence. On November 30, she was murdered by her partner Rosa Idania Ferrer Pérez, 46, in the province of Cienfuegos. At the end of that same month, Niyu del Carmen López Morales was admitted to a hospital in Havana after being attacked by her ex-partner.
Cuba is currently among the countries with the most femicides in Latin America, according to studies, with 1.4 murders per 100,000 women.
The seriousness of the situation has led organizations and activists to insist on the need for a comprehensive law on gender violence, as well as shelters for women at risk, effective protection protocols and transparency of the State regarding its statistics. They have also demanded the declaration of a state of emergency due to gender violence in Cuba.
For now, the effective implementation of the Victim Care Law, according to specialists, could offer clearer tools for the protection, support and reparation of those who face situations of serious violence on the Island, although feminicide is not classified as a crime in the Cuban Penal Code.
Organizations and activists insist on the need for a comprehensive law on gender violence
An office was recently inaugurated in Havana to advise victims of sexist violence, created by the National Organization of Collective Law Firms with the support of the Canadian Embassy and the United Nations Population Fund.
A national registration and monitoring system was also approved and an official campaign aimed at prevention was announced. However, activists and relatives of victims consider that these measures remain insufficient in the face of the sustained increase in cases.
