For the second consecutive month, Cubalex monitoring recorded a record number of homicides in Cuba, with 52 cases documented during August, a figure that could increase in the coming days as the organization completes the collection and verification of reports and complaints published on social media and other open sources.
In addition to homicides, a total of [number missing] were underreported during the month 314 events of violence and insecurity in different parts of the island.
Within the 52 homicides documented, Five were identified as femicides, According to Cubalex's ongoing monitoring of violence and insecurity in Cuba, five suicides and one suicide attempt were also recorded.
These homicides are notable for the use of bladed weapons to kill the victims, while in some cases the method or weapon used is unknown.
The figure for August should not be considered definitive. Some events may be known and publicly reported several days after they occur, while others may not come to light due to a lack of public information and existing restrictions on documenting violence in Cuba.
The absence of updated and disaggregated official statistics on homicides, femicides and other crimes, along with the lack of institutional transparency and restrictions on access to public information, make it impossible to accurately measure the true magnitude of violence in Cuba.
Therefore, The figures recorded by Cubalex may be significantly lower than the actual number of homicides and other violent acts that occurred during the period.
The behavior recorded during August is especially significant because it occurs after July will also mark a record 37 homicides in the organization's monitoring., This shows a trend that, far from decreasing, continues to worsen.
More militarization while homicides increase
The increase in homicides and reports of violence and insecurity coincides with a context of growing military presence in the daily lives of Cubans.
During August were registered exhibitions long guns, military exercises, surveillance, and other expressions of militarization in areas like Havana, Granma and Santiago de Cuba.
This deployment is especially worrying because it comes at a time when insecurity continues to rise and It does not appear to be accompanied by civil measures aimed at preventing or reducing the violence affecting the population..
The organization has warned in previous months about the progressive expansion of military functions into areas of civilian life. This process unfolds without an official proclamation of a state of emergency, without clearly defined time limits, and without effective judicial or parliamentary controls.
According to this analysis, it is configured as follows: a de facto exceptionality scenario, in which greater powers are concentrated in the defense and security structures while acts of violence and insecurity in the country persist—and even increase.
The contrast between these two phenomena is particularly relevant: While the State expands the presence and functions of its military and security structures, independent records continue to show high levels of lethal violence..
Cubalex will continue to update its August monitoring as new reports are collected and verified, so the number of homicides and other documented incidents will change. It could increase during the next few days.