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A woman was brutally murdered early Thursday morning in Holguín by her ex-partner, despite having reported him multiple times.
According to reports from the news portal La Tijera and other sources on social media, Milagros Batista Estévez, 56 years old, was stabbed in her home in the Alex Urquiola neighborhood by José Matos, a man with a history of violence, theft, and extortion who had not been arrested despite having at least three complaints against him.
The victim's son, Óscar Bermúdez Batista, stated that the crime could have been prevented:
"My mother reported her aggressor three times. He stole her money, extorted her, and threatened her by saying he wouldn't return her savings if she didn't withdraw the reports. Still, he was never arrested."
On the day of the femicide, Milagros' daughter called the National Revolutionary Police (PNR) when Matos attempted to break into their home. The response she received was infuriating:
"There are no patrols available; if you come back, we will try to send one."
Minutes later, the assailant returned, attempted once again to force his way in, and was stopped by a neighbor. He then went down to Milagros's home and attacked her with a knife, inflicting 14 stab wounds.
According to various sources, inside the house at the time of the crime were, in addition to the victim, a six-year-old girl and a baby just nine months old.
According to Martí Noticias, in the emergency call prior to the murder, the authorities urged the family to “lock themselves in and wait to see if the patrol returning from another operation would come back”.
“This crime could have been prevented. The Cuban state, its police, and its judicial system failed. The community is shocked, but also outraged”, emphasized La Tijera.
The case has sparked deep outrage on social media, where hundreds of Cubans are demanding very harsh measures against feminicides.
As of this writing, independent feminist platforms have not commented on the crime.
As of July 30, the subrecord kept by the observatories Observario de Género Alas Tensas (OGAT) and YoSíTeCreo en Cuba (YSTCC) includes 22 femicides, one murder of a man for gender-related reasons, and two attempts at femicide.
Femicides in Cuba
In 2024, 76 women were victims of feminicide in Cuba, at the hands of their partners, ex-partners, or other individuals, according to a recent official report released by the regime of the island concerning extreme gender violence against females.
The Cuba Observatory on Gender Equality (OCIG), an entity affiliated with the Cuban government, made public the figure referring to the number of women aged 15 and older who have been "victims of intentional homicide (murder)" for gender-related reasons, without ever mentioning the term femicide.
The figure is significantly higher than the underreporting that independent feminist platforms Observatorio de Género de Alas Tensas and YoSíTeCreo en Cuba recorded last year, which documented 56 femicides in 2024, according to the annual report published by OGAT.
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