The Gender Observatory of Alas Tensas (OGAT) reported this Tuesday that the total number of documented femicides in Cuba has reached 359 since it began monitoring in 2019, according to an infographic published by the organization on its social media on July 27.
The figure makes the OGAT the only organization systematically tracking this issue on the island, following the closure of the Feminicide Observatory Yo Sí Te Creo in Cuba in April 2026 due to a lack of resources and human exhaustion.
The year-by-year breakdown
OGAT records show an upward trend in documented femicides, peaking in 2023:
- 16 cases in 2019.
- 33 in 2020.
- 36 in 2021.
- 36 in 2022.
- 90 in 2023.
- 56 in 2024.
- 48 in 2025.
- 44 until July 27, 2026.
The year 2023 marked a historical high, nearly triple the 36 recorded in 2022.
Although the figures dropped in 2024 and 2025, the data from 2026 indicates a new escalation: the 44 cases in just seven months represent an increase of approximately 112% compared to the 18 recorded in the same period of 2025.
In May and June of 2026, the OGAT recorded 17 femicides compared to just four in the same months of 2025, marking an increase of 325%.
May 2026 recorded eight cases compared to one in May 2025, which represents a 700% increase.
Recent cases that illustrate the crisis
Among the most recent femicides is that of Kirenia López Mendoza, 43 years old, found dead on July 18 in her home in Isla de la Juventud, showing signs of extreme cruelty. She had reported abuse to the Police without receiving protection.
On July 13, Yeni María Peñas Leyva, a 23-year-old pregnant woman, was attacked in Las Tunas by her ex-partner, resulting in her death.
According to the director of OGAT, Ileana Álvarez, this is the "first femicide of a pregnant woman recorded since June 5, 2024."
Also in July, Merlin Noay, a 17-year-old, passed away in Santiago de Cuba after an attack carried out by a 64-year-old man who had been her stepfather, a case that the OGAT classified as a family and child femicide.
Why document when the State does not?
The OGAT emphasizes that its work is essential in light of the regime's opacity.
"Reporting these crimes allows for breaking the institutional silence, preserving the memory of the victims, identifying patterns of violence, and demanding measures for prevention, protection, and justice," the organization stated.
The documented pattern is consistent: 83.3% of femicides are committed by partners or ex-partners, 64.6% are carried out with sharp objects, and 62.5% occur in the victim's own home.
A legal void that the regime does not close
Cuba lacks a comprehensive law against gender-based violence. The 2022 Penal Code does not classify femicide as an independent crime, but only as an aggravating factor of homicide, and the National Assembly rejected an amendment to include it as an independent criminal offense.
The specific regulations do not appear in the legislative schedule until 2028.
Additionally, there is a lack of shelters for at-risk women, awareness campaigns, and protocols for dealing with disappearances.
Ileana Álvarez pointed out the institutional contradiction: "This escalation of feminicide occurs while the Federation of Cuban Women, the only women's organization permitted by the State, uses its social media not to specifically address the increase in gender-based violence in Cuba, but to question families protesting with their children in light of the deep crisis the country is experiencing."
“Documenting each femicide allows us to demand answers in the face of the regime's impunity,” concluded the OGAT, which has reiterated its call for a state of emergency due to gender-based violence in Cuba.
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