Alarm grows over feminicides and the disappearance of a woman in Cuba

The feminist platform Yo Sí Te Creo en Cuba reported this Monday two new feminicides that occurred on the island in January, as well as the disappearance of a woman in the province of Pinar del Río.

The events raise the number of registered femicides officially documented by the joint observatory of Yo Sí Te Creo and the Observatorio de Género de Alas Tensas (OGAT) to four so far in 2026.

According to the report, Claudia Surely Varela Toledano, 26 years old, was murdered on January 14 by her ex-partner and the father of her only daughter, in a house in the Sánchez Soto neighborhood, in the city of Camagüey. The young woman leaves a small child orphaned who, according to the observatory, witnessed the crime.

The second case was reported last week and involves Mileidis Dueñas Pérez, known as "La Jimagua", aged 46, who was killed on January 16 by her ex-partner, in the Obeso neighborhood of the municipality San Juan y Martínez, in Pinar del Río. The victim leaves behind three daughters, one of whom is a minor.

In both cases, the alleged aggressors were apprehended by the police, according to the organization.

In addition, Yo Sí Te Creo highlighted the disappearance of a woman identified by family members as Yanicel (Valdés or Martínez), known as “La Rusa”, also in San Juan y Martínez. Activists recommended issuing a #AlertaYeniset to support her community search.

The monitoring of femicides in Cuba continues to be driven by independent groups due to the absence of official statistics.

Until January 23, 2026, the observatories OGAT and Yo Sí Te Creo en Cuba have recorded 4 femicides, 1 attempted femicide, and 1 murder of a man for gender-related motives.

In addition, they are investigating a dozen possible femicides and attempts that occurred during 2025 and the beginning of 2026, including new cases in the province of Granma.

These facts, documented by citizens, independent media, and activists, reflect a serious crisis of gender-based violence in the country, where victims remain unprotected due to the lack of effective state protocols for prevention and support.