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The independent gender observatories Alas Tensas (OGAT) and Yo Sí Te Creo en Cuba (YSTCC) confirmed this Monday the murder of a 23-year-old young mother by her ex-partner in Jagüey Grande, Matanzas, an incident that raises the number of femicides recorded in Cuba in 2026 to 16.
Marina (Marian) Pino Martínez, mother of two young girls, one four years old and the other a few months old, passed away on April 10 in her home in the town of San Bernardo, due to an attack by her ex-partner, according to the report from both organizations - which maintain an independent record of femicide cases on the island - and reports that circulated on social media since the tragic event occurred.
This act of gender-based violence, the third reported by observers in less than 30 hours, once again causes shock and pain in Cuban society.
The death of Marian, who worked as a preschool educator, has particularly shaken the community of Jagüey Grande, a municipality that has been the scene of several femicides in recent years.
Unofficial profiles on social media circulated preliminary information about the case and identified the attacker of the young woman as José Luis Piña, who was captured one day after the crime. This information has not been officially confirmed either by independent platforms.
OGAT and YSTCC alerted in their statement about "a new revictimizing trend on social media regarding Cuba and women within the cycle of male violence" and argued that "it is impossible to break the cycle without specialized help or a justice protocol for this specific issue."
"Cuban society today lacks the most basic resources to adequately respond to all those affected by femicide," they stated, a warning they have issued repeatedly in light of the legal and institutional void regarding femicides in Cuba.
The Cuban government's response to the increasing violence against women is practically non-existent. The country lacks a comprehensive law on gender-based violence, and the Penal Code approved in 2022 does not classify femicide as an autonomous crime; there are also no shelters or effective protection protocols for women and girls at risk.
The combined count from OGAT and YSTCC as of April 13 amounts to 16 confirmed femicides, nine attempted femicides, and one male murder due to gender motives.
The platforms are also investigating 11 possible femicides, four attempted femicides, and one male murder motivated by gender reported in 2025, as well as six possible femicides reported in 2026.
The case of Marian Pino adds to a growing escalation of crimes of this nature since the beginning of the year. This Sunday, observers confirmed two more femicides: that of Yarisleidis Saavedra Hernández, 26 years old, murdered by her father in Pinar del Río, and that of Maylén Fernández Soriano, also 26, whose partner took her life in front of their young child in Las Tunas.
Regarding Maylén, the observers noted that "still alive and in extreme precariousness, she was transferred to the hospital in an ox cart and died before arriving."
During the first quarter of 2026, 13 femicides were documented: six in January, one in February, and six in March. At least seven minors were left without the care of their mothers as a direct consequence of these crimes.
The figures from OGAT and YSTCC represent an underreporting of reality, as the Cuban government does not publish complete or disaggregated statistics on these crimes.
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