The feminist collective YoSíTeCreo in Cuba has raised alarms about the spread of false information by what it describes as “unscrupulous individuals or those with a disinformation agenda” regarding the alleged murder of a woman last weekend in Matanzas. “This is not the first time our observatories have encountered ‘fake news,’ which has also been reported in cases of missing women, girls, and boys,” they stated in a Facebook post.
However, this incident marks the first occasion where the person falsely reported as murdered responded to refute the circulating misinformation. “Given the gravity of the situation, we remind everyone that the observatories (Alas Tensas) OGAT and YSTCC adhere to a proven methodology used by observatories worldwide to avoid falling prey to manipulations or extremely poor-taste jokes about such a sensitive issue as femicides and disappearances of women, girls, boys, and adolescents,” they clarified.
They also announced that they are currently monitoring several cases, some of which have been under scrutiny for up to three months due to a lack of necessary details. They reported that an investigation in the province of Matanzas had to be dropped due to insufficient evidence, but they continue to work on cases in Las Tunas, Camagüey, Guantánamo, and Matanzas.
Ongoing Efforts to Document Femicide
The primary goal of these observatories is to document femicidal violence in Cuba, aiming for prevention and the systematic addressing of a problem that requires urgent comprehensive intervention. This is especially critical in a context where the Cuban government does not officially recognize femicide.
Hidden behind semantic arguments, the prevailing communist regime in Cuba avoids discussing gender-based violence using internationally accepted terminology. Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel has dismissed these concerns as a construct of what he calls “subversive anti-Cuban platforms,” accusing them of pushing the narrative that femicide exists in Cuba—a term he claims suggests supposed state inaction in the face of gender-based violence.
Recent Cases Highlight the Issue
So far in September, several cases have emerged where women, especially mothers, have lost their lives. In mid-September, Arianni Céspedes (born January 7, 1989) was killed by her ex-partner at her home in Alejo neighborhood, in the town of Aguacate, Palma Soriano municipality, Santiago de Cuba.
Another tragic case involved Annelis Hernández Puerto, 47, who was murdered by her partner on September 19 in her home in the Florida municipality, Camagüey. Additionally, a Cuban woman residing in Campo Florido, Habana del Este municipality, was brutally attacked with a machete by a man and remains in critical condition.