Independent NGO confirms two more femicides in Cuba, bringing this year’s total to 47

Alas Tensas has confirmed two more femicides in Cuba, taking the number of gender-related killings recorded by the independent feminist platform this year to 47.

One victim was Yadelaine, known as Yade, Roque Torres, 25, who was killed on Aug. 4 by her former partner in front of her home in La Caoba, a rural area near El Cobre in Santiago de Cuba province. The man had escaped from prison before the attack and later died by suicide, according to community sources cited by the group’s Gender Observatory. Roque’s daughter, about five years old, witnessed the killing.

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great cruelty and misogyny

The second case involved Bertha Veitia López, 64, an employee at a local hospital. She was killed on Aug. 26 in Nuevitas, Camagüey province, allegedly by an acquaintance. Her body was found in a banana plantation in circumstances that, the organization said, showed “great cruelty and misogyny.” The alleged attacker remains in police custody.

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with great concern and sadness

Alas Tensas said observatories monitoring the issue have confirmed a broader rise in violence across Cuba “with great concern and sadness.” The group is also examining 12 possible femicides reported in 2025, five attempted femicides and the gender-related killing of a man, as well as 15 possible gender-motivated killings and 20 attempts reported in 2026.

The organization has warned that Cuba’s economic and energy crisis is leaving women and girls more vulnerable. It has also criticized the persistence of extreme violence in current and former relationships. Cuba’s Penal Code does not classify femicide as a separate crime, and state media rarely report such cases. The government has declared “zero tolerance” for gender violence and said courts identified 49 women over age 15 killed for gender-related reasons in trials held last year. EFE’s review of feminist NGO records found at least 46 femicides in Cuba in 2025.

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zero tolerance