The death of the young Yumary Morales Guerra was reported as a femicide by the Observatory of the magazine Alas Tensas
14ymedio, Havana, July 30, 2024 — A new case of femicide was registered in Cuba in a multiple murder. Yumary Morales Guerra died after being attacked by her ex-partner in the town of Suferry, in Ciego de Ávila. The Observatory of the Cuban feminist magazine Alas Tensas confirmed this Monday the murder of the 28-year-old woman, who was attacked on July 8 and, several days later, on the 15th, died.
The case had already been reported by the Observatory on July 11, in its latest report on the femicide of Damaris Rondón.
According to the complaint filed at the time, on the night of July 8, the attacker, identified by Alas Tensas as Richard Sánchez Ferrales, entered Morales’ home with the intention of attacking her. Félix Morales, the young woman’s father, tried to defend her, but Sánchez attacked him with a knife. After killing the father, the attacker attacked his ex-partner, who was seriously injured and died days later. The victim’s sister and a neighbor who came to help the family were also injured.
Yumary Morales, who worked as a project technician at Dimarq, a design and engineering firm in Ciego de Ávila, is the 28th femicide this year, according to records kept by 14ymedio. In June alone, there were six cases of sexist murder in the country: in Las Tunas, Mayabeque, Pinar del Río, Havana, Holguín and Isla de la Juventud.
In 2023, 87 femicides were recorded by independent platforms and media. In fact, according to a count by the organization, 238 cases have occurred in Cuba from 2019 to July 2024.
De acuerdo con un recuento de la organización, en Cuba se han producido, desde 2019 hasta julio de 2024, 238 casos
Last Sunday, Cuba’s Council of Ministers approved a national system for “registration, attention, follow-up and monitoring” of gender-based violence on the island, although the authorities avoided clarifying whether the data it collects will be public. What they did mention were statistics that give an idea of the situation of gender-based violence on the island: in 2023, 75% of these cases occurred in family homes – “a trend that continues this year” – 72% of the victims were between 25 and 59 years old, 45% are unpaid workers.
Measures to address gender-based violence have been in place for several years now, but, despite the constant recording of these cases, no public policy has yet been implemented on the subject. For example, in December 2021, the Extraordinary Gazette published that the Comprehensive Strategy for the Prevention and Response to Gender-Based Violence and Violence in the Family Setting would be launched, but that it will not come into force before 2026.
The Federation of Cuban Women also established an observatory to monitor the situation of women exposed to violence, some 16,000 according to official figures, but the data, if they exist, have never been made public.
Translated by Marvin McKemy Jr
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