Yannelis de la Caridad Casales Antón, a young Cuban woman tragically murdered in March by her partner in Jacksonville, Florida, was mourned this Thursday at a funeral home in her hometown of Santiago de Cuba. Family and friends gathered from the early hours to bid a final farewell filled with grief and sorrow.
The somber viewing featured a closed casket due to the severity of her injuries. According to a close acquaintance quoted by journalist Yosmany Mayeta on Facebook, Yannelis's condition was so dire that even efforts to groom and apply makeup were met with great difficulty.
Yannelis will be laid to rest at the Santa Ifigenia Cemetery, located near her family's residence. Friends and neighbors attended the wake, offering support to her heartbroken loved ones.
Initially, her family faced a dilemma about whether to bury her outside the city or switch caskets. The coffin brought from abroad did not fit in a Cuban vault, as explained by Mayeta. Eventually, her remains were transferred to a locally made coffin for burial at the nearby Santa Ifigenia Cemetery, where friends and neighbors gathered to console her devastated family.
The murder has sent shockwaves through both the Cuban community in Jacksonville and in Cuba itself, further highlighting the ongoing issue of femicides and gender-based violence, which persist without a comprehensive response to ensure protection or full justice for victims.
Casales, aged 30, was brutally killed on March 30 in a domestic violence incident in Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida. Her partner, Carlos Yordanis Aldana, 38, was arrested on the same day as the prime suspect, found injured near the crime scene.
Police discovered Yannelis's lifeless body in their shared apartment, having suffered multiple stab wounds, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. The murder occurred in the early morning hours, around 3:20 a.m., as confirmed by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO). Her body was discovered following a trail of blood traced from where Aldana was found to inside the apartment.
After weeks of effort and a GoFundMe campaign to cover the costs of repatriation, her family succeeded in bringing her back to Cuba to fulfill her last wish: to be buried in her homeland.
Understanding the Tragedy and Response to Gender-Based Violence
What led to Yannelis Casales's tragic death?
Yannelis Casales was murdered during a domestic violence dispute with her partner, Carlos Yordanis Aldana, in Jacksonville, Florida.
How did the community respond to this incident?
The incident has stirred emotions and concern within both the Jacksonville Cuban community and in Cuba, underscoring issues of femicides and systemic gender-based violence.
Where was Yannelis Casales laid to rest?
She was buried at Santa Ifigenia Cemetery in Santiago de Cuba, close to her family's home.