On Monday, the Observatorio de Género Alas Tensas (OGAT) and the platform YoSíTeCreo (YSTCC) verified the occurrence of two additional femicide cases in Cuba, bringing the total to 45 for the year 2024. These organizations, which focus on tracking and documenting gender-based violence, shared their findings on the social media network X. They reported the death of Dianelis Veloz Hernández, aged 31, who was attacked by her partner on October 28 in El Cerro, Havana.
According to the news outlet La Tijera, citing family sources, the tragedy occurred shortly after Veloz Hernández had dropped off her children at "Reinel Páez" Primary School, located at the intersection of Calzada de Buenos Aires and Consejero Arango. Her former partner confronted her on the street, leading to the fatal incident.
In a separate case, the death of Yoannia (Yuyi) Hernández Pupo, aged 32, was also confirmed. She was killed by a man she was involved with in a still-uncertain relationship. The incident took place in a public setting among friends on the night of October 30 in the city of Holguín.
Increasing Concerns Over Gender-Based Violence
The alarming tally of 45 femicides is accompanied by reports of five attempted femicides. OGAT and YSTCC are actively investigating one case each in the provinces of Las Tunas, Ciego de Ávila, Guantánamo, and Holguín, along with two more cases in Matanzas. Additionally, there have been two murders of men linked to gender-based motives.