Feminist platforms confirmed late this Thursday three femicides that occurred in Cuba within a span of just two weeks, as well as the first gender-motivated murder of a man recorded so far this year on the island.
The murdered women, who died at the hands of their partners in all cases, were mothers of nine children among the three of them.
Two of those misogynistic crimes occurred on the same day, although in different provinces.
The most recent case to come to light was the femicide of Ariadna Gámez Quintana, 32 years old, which occurred on May 28th at her home in the city of Holguín, where she was murdered by her partner and father of her two youngest children.
The woman is survived by four children, all minors, who witnessed the horrendous crime, as detailed by the platform YoSíTeCreo in Cuba.
The attacker of Ariadna Gámez, who had a history of gender-based violence, is currently a fugitive from justice.
"Our condolences go out to your family, along with our recommendation to activate a security protocol for the people who survived Ariadna," recommended the platform mentioned.
The other verified crime of gender-based violence is that of Ailén Tartabull Valladares, 49 years old, which also occurred on May 28th at the hands of her partner in their home in the city of Cienfuegos.
Tartabull Valladares is survived by two children, one of legal age from a previous relationship, and another who is a minor, whose father is the aggressor, who had a history of domestic violence.
In relation to that case, Víctor Manuel Ojeda Alpízar was also murdered.
The third verified murder by Cuban feminist platforms is that of Isaira Despaigne, who was also killed by her partner in her home, on May 14th or 15th, in the city of Santiago de Cuba.
Isaira Despaigne is also survived by three children, as specified by the cited source.
These events were reported by press outlets, citizens, and activists, and verified with community sources through the joint effort of the Observatorio de Alas Tensas (OGAT) and YosíTeCreo en Cuba (YSTCC).
Until May 30, the underreporting by independent Cuban observatories of gender-based violence is of 22 femicides, three femicide attempts, and six cases that require access to police investigation.
Those cases in need of access to research are: Older adult woman (Esperanza, Villa Clara); Irma (Havana); Teresa Moliner Bosa (Havana); Tania Reyes (Santiago de Cuba); Samantha (Sami) Heredia Odrens (Santiago de Cuba); Laura Castillo Zulueta (Havana).
At the moment, investigations are also being carried out for an alleged femicide in Havana and another in Artemisa.
In 2023, the highest number of femicides in a year was reported, totaling 89, according to the underreporting of cases tracked since 2019 by the Gender Observatory Altas Tensas (OGAT) and the platform YesIBelieveYou in Cuba (YSTCC).
The Cuban regime does not include the figure of femicide in the current Penal Code, which was approved in May 2022.
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