Juana María "Mayi" Guzmán Torres, a 54-year-old early childhood educator, died after suffering a stabbing on Sunday, November 8, in Manzanillo, Granma Province. Her ex-partner has been identified as the alleged perpetrator of the crime.
Feminicide was confirmed by the Gender Observatory of Alas Tensas (OGAT), which raised the number of verified feminicides in Cuba during 2026 to 62, a figure that exceeds the complete records for 2024 and 2025.
According to the report from the Observatory, the police arrested the alleged assailant following the murder. Guzmán Torres was the mother of two adult children and had dedicated her professional life to early childhood education. After her death was reported, former students expressed their sorrow on social media and reminisced about her work as an educator.
Niover Licea reveals details of the attack and the death of the educator
The crime reporter Niover Licea, through his platform NiO Reporting a Crime, disseminated information regarding the circumstances of the attack on Juana Guzmán and the medical complications that preceded her passing.
According to Licea, who cited the testimony of a source close to the family, the woman was attacked with a bladed weapon.
Licea indicated that the alleged perpetrator would be the victim's ex-husband. This information provides clarification about the relationship between the two, described as a couple's relationship in the report from the Gender Observatory of Alas Tensas.
According to the testimony gathered by the reporter, Juana underwent emergency surgery following the assault, but later suffered a pneumothorax and other medical complications that preceded her death.
The journalist explained that he initially reported the case as a suspected attempted femicide while the victim was still alive. After receiving the news of her death, he updated the information to communicate that the assault had resulted in a fatal outcome.
At the time of that update, Licea stated that she was unaware if the alleged aggressor had been detained. Later, the Gender Observatory of Alas Tensas reported his arrest.
The reports also present discrepancies regarding the precise location of the incident: Licea placed it in Caimarí, while Alas Tensas indicated the La Cañada neighborhood. Both sources agree in identifying Manzanillo as the municipality where the aggression took place.
Cuba surpasses the femicides recorded in 2024 and 2025
The 62 femicides documented by OGAT as of November 10, 2026 exceed the 56 counted in all of 2024 and the 50 recorded in 2025.
The 2025 count was recently updated after the Observatory verified the murder of Marialina García Borroto, which occurred in August of that year in Florencia, Ciego de Ávila.
In addition to the 62 confirmed femicides in 2026, the organization has documented 38 attempted femicides and two murders of men in the context of femicidal violence during the same period.
Cuba had reached 50 femicides in 2026 at the beginning of September. Since then, the Observatory has added another twelve cases to its annual record.
Blackouts, lack of transportation, and difficulties in requesting assistance
Ileana Álvarez, director of the Alas Tensas Observatory, warned that the economic difficulties and deficiencies in basic services in Cuba exacerbate the vulnerability of women facing situations of violence.
"Documented femicides continue to rise in Cuba, and we want to draw attention to this fact. Amid a crisis that deepens vulnerability, power outages, lack of transportation, communication difficulties, and economic dependency reduce the ability to seek help, leave a home, or maintain a separation. The responsibility always lies with the aggressor, but these conditions can leave women with fewer means to protect themselves," stated Álvarez.
The director also warned about the obstacles faced by women living in rural communities, where the distance to assistance services and communication difficulties can delay intervention in the face of a threat.
"In rural communities, those barriers can be even greater. Being far from services, lacking transportation, or being cut off from communication can hinder a threatened woman from receiving timely assistance. Protection must also reach those areas with resources and responses adapted to their needs," she explained.
Alas Tensas calls for prevention and protection measures
The Observatory questioned the fact that the institutional response to feminicide violence focuses on penal sanctions after the crimes, without ensuring effective mechanisms to protect threatened women.
Referring to the case of Marialina García Borroto, which has recently been added to the 2025 registry, Álvarez noted that the individual responsible had previously served a sentence for another murder.
"The attacker had already served a sentence for murder, a background that necessitates an examination of what risk assessment and protection mechanisms were in place and how they functioned. In light of this brutality, our position is clear. Populist punitive measures do not replace prevention," he stated.
The organization demands specialized shelters, permanent support services, and procedures that allow for the identification of risk situations and intervention before new assaults occur.
In Cuba, femicide is not classified as an independent crime in the current Penal Code. Independent organizations advocating for women's rights have been demanding for years a protective framework that includes prevention mechanisms and assistance for victims.
Other potential femicides are under investigation
The balance of OGAT could increase as the verification of other cases progresses. According to the organization, 11 possible femicides and 18 corresponding attempts in 2026 remain under investigation.
The Observatory is also tracking twelve possible femicides, five attempts, and one male murder in the context of femicide violence corresponding to 2025.
Among their requests is access to the investigation files of Anais Tamayo Puente, Danaibis Tamayo Ramírez, and Odalis Brizuela Zayas. The organization is also investigating the case of Bárbara Sánchez González, which remains classified as a possible feminicide suicide.
Alas Tensas, which has documented hundreds of femicides since 2019, reports that the lack of official information regarding the murders of women makes it difficult to clarify the circumstances, understand potential histories of violence, and assess police and judicial actions.
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