Sexist violence claimed another victim in Cuba: a woman who was admitted to the Vladimir Ilich Lenin University Hospital, in Holguín, He died at the beginning of the month due to a beating that his partner gave him in the medical center itself.reported the Cuban Women’s Network.
Elaine Laguna Figueredo50, suffered the attack while she was hospitalized in the surgery room, in 2nd B, where clinical studies were being performed, sources who requested anonymity confirmed to the non-governmental organization.
The events allegedly occurred on June 4, according to witnesses. A health center worker stated that, the night before, her partner had gone to see her at the hospital “with a few too many drinks” and hit her in the bathroom; On the other hand, a patient admitted to the same ward stated that the attack occurred on the morning of day 4.
A worker at the center and the patient revealed disturbing details about the events. According to her testimony, the couple entered the bathroom and “he put her in the shower with clothes and everything,” even though The patient had a vein canalized and an IV placed.
While both were in the health service, located in front of the place where the nurses and doctors are, claps and the man’s voice could be heard urging the woman to get up from the floor. “At no time was the woman’s voice heard,” added the patient, and she pointed out that after 15 minutes, the aggressor left the bathroom and returned with another man, in a state of intoxication.
After being informed of what was happening, the medical staff entered the bathroom and found the patient on the floor. She was taken out on a stretcher and taken to the operating room, sources said.
A health professional who asked that his identity not be revealed, for fear of reprisals, reported that the victim fell into a coma, had to be artificially ventilated and transferred to the Intensive Care Unit, where he died shortly after.
According to witnesses, the aggressor – whose identity has not been revealed – was detained by the police at the hospital itself.
Despite having occurred in an institution of the state Public Health system, So far the authorities have not confirmed the facts.
“In the case of the feminicide that occurred in the Holguín hospital, Security standards come into question in an institution where the victim, vulnerable due to her illness, was doubly abused without anyone being able to prevent it.“, warned the note from the Cuban Women’s Network, which requested collaboration to clarify this case.
However, This feminicide is not the first that occurs in a health center in Cuba. In February 2023, a telephone operator at the Mártires Pediatric Hospital in Las Tunas was stabbed to death by her ex-partner while working at dawn on the institution’s blackboard. Hours later, health authorities confirmed the murder of Arianny Chávez Puche35 years old.
At the beginning of that same month, Leidy Bacallao was hacked to death by her ex-partner at the police station in the town of Camalote, in Nuevitas, Camagüey. The 17-year-old teenager had run there in search of refuge, while she was chased by her attacker, but she was attacked to death without the officers intervening to prevent it.
Just four days ago, another femicide occurred in a Cuban state institution. Alba Delia Sánchez Benítez, 58, was murdered by her ex-partner while carrying out her work duties as a security and protection agent at the Fermín Valdés Domínguez student residence, in Cotorro, Havana. There has not yet been an official statement on the matter.
Until June 18, the under-registration of feminist organizations and the independent press counted 28 femicides in Cuba during 2024. The one that occurred in Holguín at the beginning of the month raises the number of fatal victims of gender violence to 29 in the country so far this year.
According to an article published by the Gender Observatory of the magazine Tense WingsJune repeats as one of the deadliest months for women in Cuba due to the number of cases of femicides, to which unfortunately is added that of Elaine Laguna Figueredo from Holguín.
Feminist platforms continue to urge the Cuban government to take preventive actions to avoid more deaths of women due to gender violence.
