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Independent Cuban platforms confirmed this Thursday the murder of a woman by her partner in the province of Sancti Spíritus, raising the total number of femicides recorded in Cuba to 10 so far in 2025.
Yunisleidy (Yuni) López Milián, 40 years old, was killed by her partner on March 27, in her home in the town of Guayos, municipality of Cabaiguán, reported the Gender Observatory of the magazine Alas Tensas (OGAT) and Yo Sí Te Creo en Cuba (YSTCC).
"The aggressor even reported Yuni's disappearance to the police and took part in the searches organized by family members and neighbors during the week she was missing," both organizations revealed in a joint statement.
YSTCC and OGAT also warned about “the trend among aggressors to cover up the crime with macabre strategies, such as reporting the disappearance of their victim themselves.”
López was the mother of three minors, one of whom was the child of her attacker, according to the woman's family.
The platforms emphasized in their statement that “there is no such thing as the so-called ‘crimes of passion,’ an incorrect and even justifying term that Radio Sancti Spíritus used improperly in their report on this case.”
The victim of this femicide had been reported missing for a week, after which her body was found in a pit inside her own home in Guayos and recovered during a police operation with the assistance of the firefighters, amid the shock of the local residents.
The case of López is similar to another femicide recorded in March, that of Julia Salvadora Segura Guerra, who lived in Violeta, Primero de Enero municipality, in the province of Ciego de Ávila.
Segura was also murdered by her partner, who buried her in the backyard of the home they shared. Her body was found on March 17, two days after her disappearance was reported.
OGAT and YSTCC continue to investigate four alerts of possible femicides in the provinces of Artemisa, Matanzas, Santiago de Cuba, and Havana, and urge the public to report crimes related to gender-based violence.
Since 2019, both platforms have independently documented femicides in Cuba. In 2024, they verified 55 crimes of this nature on the island.
Furthermore, over the years, they have urged the Cuban government to declare a state of emergency due to gender violence and advocated for a comprehensive law that addresses this issue and ensures the protection of women.
The Havana regime does not recognize the term "femicide" nor has it categorized it as a crime in the Penal Code that has been in effect since 2022. However, it has had to acknowledge the increase in patriarchal violence against women, and the crimes resulting from it in recent years.
Recently, it was announced that work is being done on a digital and interoperable administrative registry of violent deaths of women and girls due to gender reasons, but it was warned that it will not be publicly accessible, despite the growing social demand for transparency and action regarding this serious issue.
Frequently Asked Questions about Feminicides in Cuba
How many femicides have been recorded in Cuba in 2025?
As of now, 10 femicides have been recorded in Cuba in 2025, according to reports from the independent platforms Alas Tensas and Yo Sí Te Creo en Cuba. These organizations have been autonomously documenting cases of femicide in the country due to the lack of official recognition of the term by the Cuban government.
What measures has the Cuban government taken against gender-based violence?
Despite the rise in gender-based violence, the Cuban regime has not classified femicide as a specific crime in the Penal Code effective since 2022. However, it recently announced the creation of a computerized administrative register to document violent deaths of women and girls for gender-related reasons, although this register will not be publicly accessible.
How do legal limitations affect the fight against femicide in Cuba?
The absence of classification of femicide as a crime in Cuba prevents an appropriate legal treatment of these offenses, which hinders the collection of accurate statistics and the implementation of effective public policies. This leaves victims and their families in a state of vulnerability and limits the possibilities for prevention and justice.
What strategies do perpetrators use to cover up femicides in Cuba?
A concerning trend among offenders in Cuba is to cover up the crime by themselves reporting the victim's disappearance participando incluso en las búsquedas organizadas por familiares y vecinos. Esta estrategia macabra ha sido observada en varios casos recientes, como parte de un patrón de encubrimiento tras cometer el feminicidio.
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