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The body of a 29-year-old trans woman was found in a dilapidated building located at number 466 on Sol Street, between Villegas and Ejido, in the municipality of Old Havana, as confirmed by a collaborator from CubaNet present at the scene.
The victim was identified as Gadir Eduardo, from Las Tunas.
According to witnesses cited by the source, the young woman reportedly died from self-inflicted injuries, specifically by hanging. However, authorities have not officially confirmed the cause of death as of now.
The discovery occurred this Friday around 3:00 PM.
Neighbors of the property -occupied by homeless individuals and in a state of advanced deterioration- decided to check the place after noticing a strong odor. It was then that they discovered the body.
According to a contributor from CubaNet who spoke on condition of anonymity, police officers went to the site and initiated an investigation to determine the reasons that led to such a decision.
The young woman's partner was not at the scene at the time of the discovery, but they arrived after being notified and were interrogated by the authorities.
The victim was living irregularly in the building, a critically deteriorated structure that is part of the ravaged housing stock in the Cuban capital, where numerous properties pose structural risks and are occupied by people with no housing alternatives.
A public health problem
The case occurs in a context where suicide has been recognized as a public health issue in Cuba. According to the Health Statistical Yearbook (with data up to 2023), in that year, there were 1,671 recorded deaths due to "intentionally self-inflicted injuries": 1,390 men and 281 women.
According to the country profile of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the suicide rate in Cuba is 10.2 per 100,000 inhabitants. In 2021, suicide was the tenth leading cause of death in the country and the third among those under 18 years old, as reported by the Ministry of Public Health.
In August 2025, the feminist platform Alas Tensas published an article by sociologist Irela Casañas that warned about the increase in adolescent suicides in Holguín. Citing data from the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI), the text noted that between 2019 and 2023, 977 cases were recorded in that province, where suicide has already become the fifth leading cause of death.
The author warned about the statistical underreporting and the silence of many families, who, out of fear or shame, avoid reporting suicide attempts. The analysis pointed to factors such as family exile, drug use, loneliness, and the disintegration of the environment as elements that exacerbate the mental health of young people.
The phenomenon is not limited to that province. In 2023, health authorities from Sancti Spíritus reported around 200 adolescents per year with suicidal behavior.
In 2019, a report from the WHO warned that suicide was one of the leading causes of death among young people in Latin America, and that Cuba was among the most affected countries.
On the Island, there is a National Program for the Prevention of Suicidal Behavior, which includes mechanisms for monitoring and recording at-risk groups.
Additionally, the "crisis hotline 103," according to an informational document from the National Medical Library, handles approximately 5,000 calls each year.
While authorities continue to investigate the specific circumstances surrounding Gadir Eduardo's death, the case once again highlights the issue of mental health in Cuba and the vulnerable conditions in which many people live, particularly those residing in deteriorating buildings or lacking strong support networks.
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