14ymedio, Feminicides, Sexist Violence, Alas Tensas, Artemisa, 15 April 2023 — Ana Ivis Llanes, 42, is the most recent victim of sexist violence in Cuba. Her death, which occurred this week in the neighborhood of El Rastro, in Artemisa, is attributed to her ex-partner, according to several relatives. With this, there are already 24 femicides so far this year, according to the Alas Tensas gender observatory.
Llanes’ family identified her aggressor on social networks as Yuliet Miranda, who allegedly fled after committing the murder. Gladisleidy Varde, the victim’s niece, published a photograph of the alleged aggressor asking for support to locate him.
Similarly, the Cuban Institute for Freedom of Expression and Press said last Thursday that, according to Llanes’ relatives, the aggressor had a history of the rape of a minor. As usual, neither the police nor the official press have confirmed the event.
The list of femicides in the first four months of the year almost triples the figure recorded on the same date in 2022, when nine were reported. In the first two weeks of April alone, there have been five violent deaths of women.
The most recent victim was Aliuska Jardines, 35 years old and a native of Guantánamo, who was murdered last Saturday by her partner in the Jesús María neighborhood, in Havana. According to feminist groups, her death is linked to a case of sex trafficking and internal migration.
Independent organizations have long demanded legislation that protects women and recognizes deaths motivated by hatred towards this segment of the population. In Cuba, there are also no official data on these events, a void pointed out by numerous feminist groups.
While cases of femicide continue to escalate, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel acknowledged that there is sexist violence in Cuba and assured that there will be “zero tolerance.” In a meeting with 480 representatives from several provinces, held this Friday, the president promised a national debate, as well as “perfecting the statistics because they are insufficient” and may be “biased.”
“There are many manifestations of violence in our society that are not recognized, so we must do more in this regard,” he insisted.
Contrary to the speech of officials and the requests of feminists, the official newspaper Cubadebate published an article last Februar in which it admitted that they do not have “all the data” necessary to know “if indeed more women are dying” on the Island.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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