In addition to that of Ariatna Gámez, on May 28 there was another femicide in Cienfuegos, that of Ailen Tartabull, allegedly attacked by her husband
14ymedio, Madrid, May 31, 2024 — The murder of Ariatna Gámez Quintana, 32 years old, allegedly perpetrated by her partner this Tuesday in Holguín, brings to two the number of deaths from machista violence on the Island on the same day. Also on May 28, there was a femicide in Cienfuegos, that of Ailen Tartabull, allegedly attacked by her husband in an event in which Víctor Manuel Ojeda Alpízar, who was was working in the ration store where the events occurred, also lost his life.
According to the Alas Tensas Observatory, the aggressor of Ariatna Gámez, father of her two minor children, already had a history of machista violence, and his whereabouts are currently unknown. The authorities are looking for him for the crime he allegedly committed in front of the victim’s four children. “Our condolences to your family and our recommendation to activate a security protocol for people who survive Ariadna,” demanded the feminist association.
There are fewer details about an alleged femicide in Santiago de Cuba, that of Isaira Despaigne, 34, between May 14 and 15
There are fewer details about an alleged femicide in Santiago de Cuba, that of Isaira Despaigne, 34, between May 14 and 15. The deceased had three children, but more information about the circumstances of her death is not known.
The observatories Alas Tensas (Tense Wings) and Yo Sí Te Creo (Yes I Believe You) in Cuba already count 22 femicides so far this year, although the count made by 14ymedio totals 20, since the deaths of two elderly women last March are not considered by this newspaper to be of a machista nature. In addition, the organizations warn that there are six cases that need further investigation to determine if they are murders by machista violence, three of them in Havana, two in Santiago de Cuba and one in Esperanza, Villa Clara.
Last week there was also another femicide in Santiago de Cuba, that of María Emilia Savigne Borjas, 38 years old and a mother of three, attacked in the middle of the street. The cases have only multiplied since the first victim this year of this type of violence in 2024, Diana Rosa Cervantes, was reported on January 2.
The authorities are still unable to contain a swell that is growing to the extent that social networks contribute to the dissemination of cases. However, it is also likely that many deaths will not be recorded, and the official records arrive late and badly, despite the fact that Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel himself urged a resolution to the situation a year ago.
The announcement of the creation of an official observatory and a “real-time” record that still does not work have not contributed to mitigating the murders, while feminist associations demand a comprehensive law against machista violence that, in addition to making statistics public and criminalizing femicide, includes preventive measures.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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