Activists demand state of emergency amid surge of violence against women in Cuba

Fourteen civil society organizations launched a third call this week for the Cuban regime to declare a state of emergency amid a surge of gender violence crimes being reported in a short period of time. 

Similar alerts were also sounded in 2021 and 2022 without achieving any action from Cuban law enforcement authorities.

"Today we are living in conditions that merit declaring a state of emergency, a mechanism that would establish measures to prevent and eradicate behaviors that promote gender violence and implement protection protocols for survivors," the project's signatories explain in a statement. 

"They are killing us because we live in a Femicide State, which criminalizes feminist and LGBTIQA+ activism (and all activism) and they do not want to implement protection mechanisms, which are essential for civil society," they stated in the statement.

‼️NOS ESTÁN MATANDO‼️
TERCER LLAMADO por el #EstadoDeEmergencia en Cuba por #violenciadegénero 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/axFb7qQUD1

— Yo Sí Te Creo en Cuba (@YoSiTeCreoCuba) February 6, 2023

The push for a state of emergency arises after two female disappearances resulted in deaths within a week.

Sources say one of the femicides occurred in a police station, where the 17-year-old victim had managed to enter asking for help while fleeing from the attacker and her ex-partner, 49 years old and with a history of sexist violence, denounced the organizations.

The Cuban activists also raised concerns that so far in 2023 there were other incidents such as the temporary disappearance of two females later found alive, but another who was purportedly killed by a law enforcement agent. 

Some reports suggest there have been possible similar incidents in Camagüey and Havana. 

The activists are complaining that a lack of access to judicial and law enforcement institutions has hampered effective crime reporting and that the absence of domestic violence shelters has endangered both women and children. 

The activist movement is trying to rally Cuban citizens to speak out and demand government protection from acts of violence. 

To mobilize action, the activists heralded a call to create support networks to prevent all possible femicides and disappearances. They specifically called for the right for activists and women using the hashtag #LaCalleSeráTestigo, to to protest, engage in peaceful demonstration and protest in this year's upcoming International Women's Day.

“We continue advocating for a comprehensive law to prevent gender violence in Cuba, and that criminalization of feminist activism cease once and for all,” they concluded.

At least 34 women were victims of femicide in Cuba during 2022, as documented by the Gender Observatory of the feminist magazine Alas Tensas (OGAT).