Activists confirm two new femicides in Cuba, bringing July total to seven

Independent activists in Cuba have confirmed two more femicides, raising the total for July to seven and the grim count for the year to 41. The NGO Alas Tensas (AT) reported the latest cases, highlighting a disturbing trend of gender-based violence on the island.

One victim, 43-year-old Kirenia López Mendoza, was found dead in her home on Isla de la Juventud on July 18. According to AT, López had reported ongoing abuse by her partner to the police. The report suggests multiple men, including the partner, may have been involved in her death, pending further investigation.

The second victim, 17-year-old Merlin Noay, died in a hospital after being assaulted earlier in July by a 64-year-old man who had been her stepfather for years. Sources consulted by AT's Gender Observatory indicated a recent connection between Noay and her aggressor, classifying the case as a "family and child femicide" and emphasizing the need for more information.

Activists stressed that the alleged perpetrators in both cases are in custody. However, AT is currently investigating 12 other potential femicides and five attempted cases from 2025, as well as 12 potential femicides and four attempts reported in 2026. The organization has expressed deep concern over the escalating violence, noting that 17 femicides were recorded between May and June alone, with perpetrators in seven of those cases having prior records of violence.

AT attributes the increasing vulnerability of women and girls partly to Cuba's current economic and energy crisis. The group continues to press the Cuban government to publish systematic official statistics, legally define femicide, activate protection protocols, establish shelters for at-risk women, and guarantee effective emergency hotlines. Since 2019, AT and the platform YoSiTeCreo en Cuba have documented 350 femicides.