The scourge of violence against women has claimed yet another life in Cuba, casting a shadow over a grieving family. Naomi Téllez Wilson, a 24-year-old woman, was brutally murdered by her ex-partner in Old Havana last week, as reported by sources on social media.
This horrific incident, which took place in the early hours of November 20th, has sent shockwaves through the Belén neighborhood. It adds to the distressing tally of 50 confirmed femicides reported by independent platforms throughout 2024.
The perpetrator, identified as Oscar Oropesa, was apprehended by police shortly after committing the heinous act. The assault occurred at Oropesa's residence on Habana Street, between Luz and Acosta, where he fatally stabbed Téllez after a violent altercation. Sources close to the victim informed influencer Niover Licea that both were neighbors at this location.
Community Demands Justice
Friends, family, and neighbors of Téllez are calling for justice in response to this senseless crime. So far this year, 50 women have fallen victim to femicide, according to the underreported statistics maintained by the observatories of Alas Tensas magazine and YoSíTeCreo in Cuba.
In 2023, these platforms confirmed 89 femicides, although the official statistics from the Cuban government reported 117 violent crimes against women up to October of that year.
Legal and Social Inaction
The Cuban regime disclosed that in 2023, 110 cases of female homicides were tried in court involving victims aged 15 and older, targeted due to gender-based reasons, according to data from the Observatory of Gender Equality in Cuba. Additionally, perpetrators of 378 sexual violence incidents were prosecuted, while an unspecified number of women suffered injuries from attacks by former partners.
Despite these alarming figures, Cuba's Penal Code does not classify femicide as a distinct crime, nor does it specifically use terms like "femicide" or "gender-based crime."
The state-run Federation of Cuban Women (FMC) acknowledged that over 16,000 women and girls from 9,579 families are living in violent conditions across the nation. Earlier this year, the government introduced a national system for the registration, attention, follow-up, and monitoring of gender-based violence incidents within the domestic sphere.