Family Offers Reward for Leads on Missing Elderly Woman in Havana

The relatives of Noguella Lezcano Milián, an 80-year-old woman who vanished over a week ago, remain steadfast in their search efforts by offering a $200 reward for any information regarding her whereabouts. Known affectionately as "La Gallega," Noguella was last seen on August 16 and reported missing to the police. She stands 1.50 meters tall, with blue eyes and very short dark brown hair. Her health is fragile, as she suffers from epilepsy and dementia.

Noguella typically wears a cap or scarf and lives at Calzada de San Miguel del Padrón #9603, between 5th and 6th, Luyanó Moderno (La Cuevita). The last sighting of her was in the Wajay area. Her granddaughter, Lisandra García, has taken to social media multiple times, pleading for assistance in locating her.

"Today I posted her picture near the Cotorro church and on several light posts. Any information will be greatly appreciated... We will give $200 to anyone who finds her and contacts the family! She's been missing for a week now... We need your cooperation (...) We want to ensure it's her," Lisandra implored in a message shared on Facebook groups this Thursday.

Independent feminist platforms have activated the "Alerta Yeniset," a protocol for missing women cases. On social media, the Gender Observatory of Alas Tensas magazine (OGAT) highlighted the family's relentless search in Havana. To further their efforts, they have placed posters designed by the organization in hospitals and central areas of the city, "hoping to gather information about her location."

Anyone with information leading to Noguella’s discovery should reach out to the family via the contact number: +53 5 8879597 (Jesús).

Ongoing Concerns Over Missing Persons in Cuba

Noguella's case adds to a growing list of unresolved disappearances, including that of Maydeleisis Rosales Rodríguez, a young girl who disappeared over four years ago in Centro Habana; Karildi Caridad Marín, 25, last seen on December 14, 2023, heading to the municipality of Cerro in Havana; Esperanza Cabrera Melvin, 75, who vanished on December 19, 2024, while trying to catch transportation in Colón, Matanzas; and Doraiky Águila Vázquez, 48, who went missing on March 15 in the Cuban capital.

The latest annual report from OGAT documented 28 women and girls missing in Cuba during 2024, of which 22 were found alive. Despite these alarming figures, the Cuban government has yet to establish official protocols, alert systems, or legal frameworks to facilitate the search for missing persons. As a result, families are left without resources or support networks to aid in locating their loved ones.

Social media, civil society organizations, observatories, and independent media remain the only avenues through which the public can bring attention to these cases and mobilize community assistance.