Independent observatories Alas Tensas (OGAT) and Yo Sí Te Creo en Cuba (YSTCC) documented 13 femicides in Cuba during the first quarter of 2026, with six cases in January, one in February, and six in March.
A report published by OGAT this Tuesday indicates that the province of Granma recorded the highest number of cases of gender-based violence, with three verified cases, followed by Pinar del Río with two, and one each in Sancti Spíritus, Camagüey, Guantánamo, Villa Clara, Mayabeque, Cienfuegos, Las Tunas, and Havana.
Of the 13 femicides registered between January 1 and March 31 of this year, eight occurred in urban areas and five in rural areas. Additionally, eight were committed in homes, four in public spaces, and one on vacant land or a dump.
The observatories confirmed that three of the perpetrators had a history of violence. The crimes were committed using blunt instruments (8), by beating (1), through asphyxiation or strangulation (1), dismemberment (1), and other methods (2).
At least seven minors were left without the care of their mothers as a direct consequence of these acts of gender-based violence, in a context marked by the lack of comprehensive protection mechanisms for both direct and indirect victims.
Among the most impactful cases of the quarter is that of Katherine Cruz Aguilera, a 14-year-old girl murdered on March 14 in the La Caldosa neighborhood, El Cornito, in Las Tunas, allegedly by her ex-stepfather.
On the same date, Maribel Batista Rodríguez, 54 years old, was killed by her ex-partner in the Moscow neighborhood of the municipality of Manzanillo, Granma.
A week later, on March 21, the girl Gabriela Herrera Rodríguez, seven years old, was murdered in the Chibás neighborhood, in Guanabacoa, Havana, allegedly by a neighbor, in a case classified as child femicide.
The first femicide of the year was that of Magaly Aragón Aragón, 59-year-old nurse, found dead on January 6 in a sugar cane field at the Las Mulas penitentiary camp in Jatibonico, Sancti Spíritus.
In the first three months of 2026, there were also seven attempted femicides, according to the underreporting from both platforms.
In 2025, at least 48 women were victims of femicide in Cuba, according to the counts from both observatories. OGAT and YSTCC warn that their figures represent an underreporting of the actual femicide figures in the country, as the Cuban State does not publish complete, disaggregated, or transparent statistics on these crimes.
Both platforms have repeatedly highlighted the legal and institutional void concerning femicides in Cuba, as there is no comprehensive gender-based violence law and femicide is not classified as an independent crime, although the Penal Code does refer to patriarchal violence.
On the island, there are also no shelters or accessible protection protocols for women and girls at risk. These deficiencies in the system leave thousands of women vulnerable to known aggressors—partners, ex-partners, neighbors, family members—and foster impunity.
OGAT has also pointed out that it is becoming increasingly difficult to verify and complete cases due to the disconnection and blackouts in Cuba.
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