Independent organizations that monitor gender-based violence in Cuba have confirmed another femicide, bringing the number of verified gender-related killings of women on the island to 38 so far in 2026. The actual toll could be higher due to the Cuban government's lack of transparency.

The latest case was verified by the Gender Observatory of Alas Tensas (OGAT), which reported the killing of Dayana Borges, a 26-year-old mother who was allegedly murdered by her partner, the father of her two young children.

According to the observatory, the crime took place on July 1 at the home the couple shared in the Centro Habana district of Havana.

OGAT said the alleged attacker had a history of severely abusing Dayana as well as previous partners. After the killing, he died by suicide.

The organization expressed particular concern for the victim's two children, who were left orphaned after losing both their mother and father and who also witnessed the attack. It called for the children to receive specialized psychological care.

The observatory also warned that recent cases increasingly involve the use of illicit drugs, a trend it says is associated with multiple forms of violence, including lethal gender-based violence.

With this latest case, OGAT has documented 38 femicides, 19 attempted femicides, and two killings of men linked to gender-based violence in Cuba so far in 2026.

The organization also said it is continuing to investigate 12 additional suspected femicides, five attempted femicides, and one suspected gender-related killing of a man reported this year. It is also reviewing 10 suspected femicides and three attempted femicides from previous years that remain unresolved.

In addition, OGAT requested access to the investigative file in the case of Anais Tamayo Puente, saying it still lacks sufficient official information to complete its documentation.

Independent monitoring organizations stress that these figures represent an undercount because the Cuban government does not publish systematic statistics or provide sufficient information on gender-based killings. The lack of official transparency has forced civil society groups to verify cases through reports from relatives, neighbors, and other independent sources.

The independent initiatives' documented undercount recorded 48 femicides in 2025, underscoring that gender-based violence continues to claim dozens of lives each year in Cuba amid persistent government secrecy and the lack of official data needed to measure the true scale of the problem.

An investigation published by ADN Cuba in February found that the Cuban state also bears responsibility for these crimes because femicide is not recognized as a distinct criminal offense under Cuban law. As a result, there are no specific legal mechanisms for preventing these killings or ensuring adequate protection and reparations for victims and survivors affected by gender-based violence.

"There are no specific protocols or shelters for women and their children whose lives are at risk because of femicidal violence," the independent platform Yo Sí Te Creo en Cuba (YSTCC) told ADN Cuba. "These women are often forced to continue living with their abusers, and in most cases they are afraid to report the abuse or seek help. There are also no effective systems of restraining orders or electronic monitoring devices to protect victims. Because there are no shelters, when support is available it usually comes from relatives, who also place themselves at risk because they lack the means to protect themselves from an abuser. Especially in 2025, it has become increasingly common for women to report their abusers and still lose their lives."

Between 2019 and 2025, at least 66 women who were later killed in femicides had previously reported their alleged abusers to authorities.