Three New Femicides in Eastern Cuba
HAVANA TIMES – Three new femicides were reported this month in Cuba in less than 48 hours.
The first case occurred in Yara, Granma province, and there is little information about it. However, it is known that a 60-year-old woman was murdered by her partner on November 6.
Only a few hours later, but in Santiago de Cuba, the second case occurred. Two women died and a third one was injured.
In an unusual way, the city’s official newspaper, Sierra Maestra, reported on the events:
“The Ministry of the Interior in Santiago de Cuba revealed that on Saturday, November 7 at 8:00 a.m., a man approached two women at a bus stop in the city. He took out a firearm and shot them both. One died instantly and the other one was transferred to the hospital. When doctors proceeded to do the surgery, she died in the operating room.
The perpetrator fled, so police forces were immediately deployed all over the place. A few minutes later, the aggressor was arrested, and the murder weapon seized from him.
In a first report, Sierra Maestra newspaper announced that the victims were mother and daughter. However, it was learned later on, through independent media, that they were only friends. Both were studying for a Bachelor’s Degree in Preschool Education at Universidad de Oriente.
The victims were named Daneyis Reyes and Dania Bagarotti. Both were under 27 years old.
The murderer, identified as Andy Calderón Sardiñas, was Daneyis Reyes´s ex-partner. They had a 4-year-old son together.
According to an interview with Reyes’s father, published in Diario de Cuba, “Andy lived stalking Daneyis. He was always calling her, but she didn´t want him back.”
Coordinating efforts against gender violence
Faced with these facts, researcher Aylin Torres Santana urged official institutions to collaborate with non-governmental ones. A coordinated effort with “the people, groups, projects, working in the territories against gender violence”.
In Cuba, during covid-19 pandemic mandatory quarantine, 17 femicides and 3 related infanticides occurred between March 24 and October 15, 2020. All took place at the victims´ homes or family environments.
Currently in Cuba, the legislative schedule for the next few years is being discussed. However, a Comprehensive Law against Gender Violence, as requested by Cuban feminist activists, will once again NOT be included.