Blanca Eugenia Roque Malpica, a member of the Ladies in White, passed away on Saturday, November 7, 2026, in Los Arabos, a municipality in the province of Matanzas. She was 79 years old and had been hospitalized since the 3rd of that month at the Colón Hospital, also in Matanzas, after suffering what was described as a cerebral infarction or stroke.
The news was spread by several profiles, including that of the activist and journalist Boris González Arenas, who shared on his social media the farewell written by Leticia Ramos Herrería, Eugenia's colleague in the movement.
The day before her passing, Berta Soler, leader of the Ladies in White, had warned about the health condition of Eugenia Roque. According to a post by Soler on Facebook, her son William confirmed to her over the phone that the patient was "reported in critical condition."
Ramos Herrería bid farewell to her companion with these words: "Eugenia, despite her advanced age, was a faithful Dama de Blanco to our Movement and a sister in struggle. Her legacy and steadfastness in the fight for the freedom of Cuba and for political prisoners was an inspiration for many of us and for the people who saw her attend Mass Sunday after Sunday, often unjustly detained despite her age. With profound sorrow, we say goodbye for now, Eugenia [...]. Your sisters, the Damas de Blanco, will never forget you."
González Arenas emphasized the value of her legacy: "When someone who has dedicated a part of their life to the cause of Cuba's freedom passes away, respect is paramount. If that someone is a Lady in White, the honor is magnified."
The death of Eugenia Roque adds to the loss of another member of the Damas de Blanco that occurred less than a year ago. Mercedes de la Caridad de la Guardia Hernández passed away on December 7, 2025 in Cárdenas, also in Matanzas, at the age of 59. Similarly, Leticia Ramos Herrería was among those who communicated that loss.
The Damas de Blanco emerged in the spring of 2003, when the wives, mothers, and daughters of the 75 dissidents imprisoned during the wave of repression known as the Black Spring began to attend Mass on Sundays dressed in white and to march silently with pictures of their incarcerated relatives and flowers.
In 2005, the European Parliament awarded them the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Conscience. Despite this international recognition, the Cuban regime never stopped its repression against its members: there are hundreds of detentions, abuse, and constant surveillance operations carried out to silence their voices.
In Matanzas, the province where Eugenia Roque resided, the persecution has been particularly intense. Sayli Navarro, a Dama de Blanco from the municipality of Perico, was arrested on July 12, 2021, and sentenced to eight years in prison; Amnesty International considers her a prisoner of conscience as of the date of this publication.
The passing of Eugenia Roque occurs at a time of heightened repression: the Cuban Human Rights Observatory (OCDH) documented at least 387 repressive actions carried out by the dictatorship during October of 2026, a figure that surpasses the 344 logged in September and raises the annual total to 3,438 actions.
“Let all the gratitude of Cubans reach this heroine, those of us who aspire to see our country free from the horrors of communism,” wrote González Arenas upon announcing her death.
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