The independent platforms Yo Sí Te Creo and Alas Tensas confirmed two new gender-based murders in Cuba, bringing the total recorded in 2025 to 20 and reflecting a reality that continues unabated, despite tougher sentences and the growing visibility of the problem by the authorities.
According to a report published this Sunday by the Spanish news agency EFE, the most recent victims, Yailín Carrasco (29), murdered by her partner in Cienfuegos, and Yailín Requejo (41), killed on a street in Holguín in broad daylight, increase the statistics of crime against Cuban women.
Carrasco was allegedly attacked in front of one of her three young daughters, while Requejo’s youngest daughter was seriously injured in the attack.
Both cases were documented and verified by feminist organizations.
The Cuban government confirmed on July 8 that the courts identified a total of 76 women murdered by their partners, ex-partners or others in trials held last year, and that 110 victims of sexist crimes were recorded in trials held in 2023.
The island’s Penal Code does not classify femicide as a crime, the EFE report noted.
Alas Tensas and Yo Sí Te Creo, which keep records of verified femicides on the island, confirmed 54 in 2024.
Alarming statistics and official regulations
The numbers speak for themselves and show a growing and difficult-to-control phenomenon. Last year’s 76 deaths represent one of the highest rates in the region — 1.79 per 100,000 women — surpassed only by Honduras and the Dominican Republic.
In 2023, the official number was even higher: 110 women murdered by partners or ex-partners, although independent organizations estimate the number of verified femicides that year at 85-88.
The dispersion of data and the absence of a public and transparent registry hinder both prevention and punishment.
Recently, the Attorney General’s Office, the Ministry of the Interior, the Supreme Court and other institutions announced the joint drawing up of a computerized administrative registry to collect data on femicides.
The information system is not public and access is limited only to victims’ families.
Government reaffirms zero tolerance
President Miguel Díaz-Canel has declared “zero tolerance” against gender-based violence, and although state media does not frequently report on femicides, reports and articles on this problem have appeared in recent months, EFE reported.
On the other hand, independent groups point out that underreporting of cases continues to be a serious obstacle, fueled by the fear of reporting, insufficient police and judicial response, and the stigma faced by those who speak out.
Testimonies collected reflect how victims who go to police stations with evidence are returned to their homes with their attackers, often without their complaint being taken or receiving responses as inadequate as a fine for the perpetrator.
Map of scourge
Geographically, the scourge of femicides encompasses the entire country, although the provinces of Havana, Santiago de Cuba and Matanzas accounted for the highest number of crimes prosecuted in 2024, with twelve, nine and eight cases, respectively.
Rural areas were the most affected: 58% of fatal cases occurred in rural areas, where women had fewer resources to seek protection.
The profile of the victims is also revealing: 72% were between 25 and 59 years old, and 84% of the perpetrators were partners or ex-partners, data consistent with the known patterns of violence in the region.
The social impact of this phenomenon is amplified by the increase in orphans: 70 minors were left without maternal protection in 2024 alone, creating intergenerational consequences that are difficult to measure.
Along with official and unofficial data, the Alas Tensas and Yo Sí Te Creo groups continue to demand that a “state of emergency due to gender-based violence” be declared on the island, and warn that the figures could be even higher due to possible unreported or unconfirmed cases.
