Cubalex monitoring documented 2,932 incidents of violence and insecurity in Cuba between 2023 and the present, This figure demonstrates the sustained deterioration of citizen security in the country. Of that total, 736 correspond to homicides, including femicides.
Only during July 2026, Cubalex recorded 168 incidents of violence and citizen insecurity, consolidating this as the second most frequent category within the monthly monitoring of human rights violations and other contextual events carried out by the organization.
That month they documented 37 homicides, lthe highest monthly figure since Cubalex began recording these events in 2023. At least Nine of the victims were women murdered for gender-related reasons, including a pregnant woman. Also recorded four suicides or suicide attempts, the highest number reported so far in 2026, an indicator that likely reflects only a part of a much deeper mental health crisis.
This data constitutes a underreporting. The information comes from the ongoing monitoring carried out by Cubalex through its own sources within the island and the tracking of reports published on social networks and other open sources.
The absence of official statistics, the lack of institutional transparency, and restrictions on accessing public information make it impossible to accurately measure the true extent of violence in Cuba, therefore The figures may be significantly higher.
Growing violence in a context of de facto exceptionality
The increase in violence comes as Cuba experiences a progressive militarization of civilian life, without the State having formally declared any of the exceptional situations provided for in its own Constitution.
The turning point was the session of National Defense Council of the January 17, 2026, in which the so-called “plans and measures for the transition to a State of War”. Since then, military command structures have assumed traditionally civilian functions related to transportation, fuel distribution, public order, and the provision of essential services.
This expansion of military functions has occurred without official proclamation of a state of emergency, without defined time limits, and without effective judicial or parliamentary controls, setting up a scenario of de facto exceptionality which concentrates greater powers in the defense and security structures.
However, data collected by Cubalex shows that this growing military presence in the administration of daily life This has not resulted in greater protection for the population or a reduction in violence.. Conversely, homicides reached their highest level in July since the organization began this monitoring, and femicides, acts of lethal violence, and other serious crimes continue to be recorded with alarming frequency.
The lack of official information on crime and violence also constitutes a violation of the right of access to public information and prevents the design of effective public policies to prevent these events and protect victims.
Cubalex reiterates the need for the Cuban State to publish complete, reliable and periodic statistics on homicides, femicides, disappearances, suicides and other acts of violence, guarantee independent investigations and adopt effective prevention and protection measures with a human rights approach.
As long as institutional opacity persists, independent monitoring will remain an essential tool for documenting a reality that official figures continue to conceal.