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Relatives and independent activists have reported the disappearance of an 18-year-old girl in Havana, whose whereabouts have been unknown for over a month.
The young woman has been identified as María Karla Quiala, 18 years old, and her disappearance was reported by activists on social media. Her case was shared by the page “Nio Reporting a Crime” and replicated by the Gender Observatory of Alas Tensas (OGAT), which activated the Yeniset Alert, a tool used to raise awareness about the disappearances of women on the island.
According to published information, the young woman had been living in a rental in Centro Habana and later moved to the municipality of Marianao with her partner, but "for weeks now," she has not been in contact with her family, with whom she used to communicate daily.
According to statements from acquaintances cited by Niover, the administrator of the page Nio Reporting a Crime, the girl was supposedly pregnant and had spoken for the last time with a cousin before disappearing.
Some unconfirmed reports suggest that she may have moved to Bayamo, although there is no evidence to support that possibility. “A brother of the young woman is currently in Havana, trying to follow her footsteps and obtain any clues about her whereabouts,” Niover indicated.
Both the family and activists have requested citizen cooperation to assist in the search. Individuals with information can contact Nio Reportando un Crimen directly or write to the observatory at observatorio@alastensas.com.
Other recent cases of disappearances in Cuba
This case adds to a series of recent disappearances on the island, which have raised concerns among the public due to a lack of official protocols and inaction from the authorities.
In September, the family of a 78-year-old man missing in Jovellanos, Matanzas reported that the man had gone out to chop wood and never returned home, while the local police did not launch a search operation.
In Havana, the disappearance of Doraiky Águila Vázquez remains unresolved, last seen in March in the Lawton neighborhood. Her family has dismissed rumors about her alleged death and continues the search actively with the support of feminist activists.
In Guantánamo, the investigation into Alicia María Montes de Oca Pérez, known as “La China”, who has been missing since August, is still ongoing. According to Alas Tensas, individuals with mental illnesses, as is the case here, face a double vulnerability amid the health crisis and the shortage of medications in Cuba.
The internet, the search tool for many Cuban families
In the absence of an official alert system, social media has become the primary tool for disseminating reports of disappearances in Cuba.
Pages and groups such as Nio Reporting a Crime, I Do Believe You in Cuba, and Tight Wings organize civic efforts to share photos, gather testimonies, and coordinate searches, while the State refrains from providing public information or statistics.
In a context of institutional silence, each publication represents an opportunity for families to gain some insight into their missing loved ones.
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