Related videos:
The Gender Observatory Alas Tensas (OGAT) reported two new femicides that occurred in Cuba: two women murdered by their partners in the provinces of Granma and Guantánamo.
In a post on Facebook, OGAT explained that the first of the cases involves Yaniuska Barrero Machado, 38 years old, who was attacked by her partner on January 19 in the Alto del Moro neighborhood of the Las Mercedes town, Bartolomé Masó municipality, Granma.
"Barrero was the director of the local museum and was on her way to work at that moment," the post specifies.
The victim leaves behind a minor daughter.
The feminist organization requested public support to verify the exact number of Yaniuska's descendants and their ages.
The second femicide is that of Yaneisi Quiala Miranda, also 38 years old, an entrepreneur, who was killed by her partner around January 28 in the town of Santa Catalina, Manuel Tames municipality, Guantánamo.
According to the report from the observatory, after committing the crime, the attacker took his own life.
The organization extended its condolences to both families, especially to the children who survived Yaneisi.
Alarming figures in 2026
OGAT and the organization YoSíTeCreo en Cuba (YSTCC) reported that, as of Tuesday, February 3, the official record is six femicides, two attempted femicides, and one man killed for gender-related reasons.
They also indicated that they are continuing to investigate 12 possible femicides, four attempts of femicide, and one murder of a man for gender-related reasons reported in 2025.
"And three possible attempted feminicides reported in 2026," adds the note.
A pattern of violence that repeats itself
These crimes add to an alarming trend that has been growing in Cuba.
During 2025, feminist observatories documented at least 48 femicides, in a context where there are no public official statistics or comprehensive laws against gender violence.
Although the Penal Code mentions gender-based violence, there is no standalone classification for femicide in Cuba, nor are there shelters for women at risk or effective protocols for immediate assistance.
This leaves many victims without real protection, even when the danger is evident.
The cases of Yaniuska - director of a state museum - and Yaneisi - an entrepreneur - demonstrate that gender-based violence does not distinguish between profession or environment.
Both were murdered by their partners, highlighting the pattern of violence in intimate relationships.
Civil society in the face of institutional void
In the absence of effective state mechanisms, organizations like OGAT and YSTCC take on functions that would normally belong to the state: documenting crimes, conducting investigations, supporting families, and raising awareness of gender-based violence.
Both groups insist that reporting is not a crime and urge citizens to report cases of extreme violence. They warn that impunity, invisibility, and the lack of legislation allow aggressors to act without real consequences.
The beginning of 2026 confirms that Cuba is facing a structural crisis of gender-based violence, characterized by a lack of comprehensive laws, shelters, prevention protocols, and institutional response.
The tragedy of Yaniuska and Yaneisi once again underscores that, without urgent action, the list of victims will continue to grow.
Filed under: