Independent activists demand that Cuba include feminicide as a specific crime

Cuban activists have affirmed that Cuba must include feminicide as a specific crime and establish a Law against gender violence to prevent the country's women from continuing to be victims of male abuse, reported Inter Press Service (IPS).

According to psychologist Mareelén Díaz, who works at the non-governmental Oscar Arnulfo Romero Center (OAR), Cuban citizens have been disclosing more information about femicides and abuse against women in Cuba since the use of the Internet on phones was approved in December. , but this is not enough at the country level.

The OAR Center has promoted events and campaigns against gender violence in the Cuban capital since 2007.

“The first step towards solving a problem is the recognition of its existence,” Díaz told the aforementioned media, referring to the absence of open public data in Cuba, in relation to femicides, but also with homicides and other types. of crimes about which the Cuban Government does not offer information.

“In recent times in Cuba, the media and (independent) journalists have been pointing out and making visible with examples that this problem exists,” added Díaz, in reference to the multiple cases known publicly thanks to the internet and social networks.

“Before femicide occurs, there is a lot of violence that has been going on for years. Generally, the women who come to us for counseling are being violated between five and 15 years before,” explained Ivón Ernard, a psychiatrist who works in the same organization and coordinates the Counseling for Women in Situations of Violence.

“Celebrating one day is not enough, campaigning is no longer enough,” said Rita María García, director of the Christian Center for Reflection and Dialogue-Cuba (CCRD), founded in 2010 with headquarters in Cárdenas (Matanzas) where reports have been made. several cases of women murdered at the hands of men.

This other association provides specialized consultations for female victims within the Psychopastoral Care Program.

“There is no perception of risk because no laws or decrees have been promulgated and the Cuban legal base does not contemplate strong sentences and a system for complaints that protects women,” added this activist.

In comparison with Latin American countries where the feminicide rate is skyrocketing, Rita María García affirmed that in Cuba the situation does not reach dramatic figures that are known, although in any case "the figures are alarming," she assured.

“There is not a day that we do not hear or know of not only cases of femicide, but of real, palpable and desperate violence,” he added.

Specialists, feminists and activists have called on the Government of Cuba to establish a prevention system and laws that protect women from sexist and misogynistic violence without seeing any results, IPS documents.

They have also asked that the police be trained so that they can be on alert for possible cases of gender violence.

“Knowledge in the population is minimal because many myths persist that make femicide invisible. This concept is new for many people and in many cases they associate it with other contexts in the world,” said Valia Solís, founding specialist of the CCRD consultation.

A recent report from the Government of Cuba that for the first time in history recognizes the existence of femicides in the country, announced that women aged 15 years and older accounted for 5,052,239 femicides in 2016, out of a total population of 11.2 million inhabitants. This report has not been published in the Cuban national press.

Just a few weeks ago, a shocking case of a woman from Santiago brutally stabbed to death by her ex-partner, father of her youngest son. This victim had previously reported her attacker.