Yordania Villamil Hernández, a Cuban doctor residing in Panama, issued a call for help to her community abroad as she faces a legal battle that threatens to undermine the stability she has built after years of litigation for custody of her daughter.
According to what was reported to CiberCuba, a court granted him legal custody of the child in 2021, and subsequently, a court issued a restraining order against the father, a Panamanian citizen who has subjected the family to several legal proceedings since the divorce.
However, that ruling granting custody of the girl to her mother did not stop the harassment: the man continued to stalk both mother and daughter, even triggering an Amber alert this Friday despite the fact that the minor was legally in her mother's care.
Systematic harassment also cost this doctor, originally from Las Tunas and daughter of the renowned surgeon the late Ramón Blas Villamil, her last job.
The successive lawsuits filed by the girl's father - which were ultimately dismissed - caused an economic and emotional strain that overwhelmed Yordania Villamil.
Unable to afford the legal representation needed to finally close this chapter on her own, her friend Susel Pérez launched a fundraising campaign on GiveSendGo with a goal of 3,500 dollars. At the time of publication, the campaign had raised 515 dollars with eight donors.
"I never imagined I would have to create a campaign like this, but today I do it with the hope of being able to help a person whom everyone who knows her recognizes for her and her family's outstanding humanity," wrote Pérez when launching the initiative.
The organizer of the fundraising campaign described Yordania as "a noble woman with a good heart" and explained that, although she has done everything possible to get ahead, "the circumstances have exceeded her capabilities."
According to Pérez, "all the funds raised will be sent directly to Jordan and will be used to cover their essential needs while they recover and get back on their feet."
In the midst of adversity, Yordania's daughter has been recognized at her school with a place on the honor roll, a detail that reflects the resilience of both.
Latin American feminist organizations consulted by this outlet indicate that the use of repeated legal demands as a tactic to exhaust a former partner with legal custody is a documented form of vicarious violence.
In the case of the Amber alert, the system requires reasonable cause to believe that the minor is facing a serious and imminent risk; activating it without that basis in a custody dispute constitutes an abuse of the mechanism.
Similar cases of Cuban mothers threatened by ex-partners have been documented in the Cuban community abroad, where many immigrants lack institutional support networks and resources to hire private attorneys.
Pérez concluded his call with a direct message to those who might help: "Every contribution, no matter how small, will have a huge impact on their life."
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