The individual accused of the murder of Mariolis López Silio, a mother of four, in Güines, Mayabeque, last week, has turned himself in to law enforcement after evading capture for several days, according to unofficial sources.
Mariolis, aged 37, was killed on April 24 in the town of Güines by her ex-partner, who is also the father of two of her children. Following the murder, he fled the scene but surrendered to police on Tuesday, as reported by Niover Licea on his Facebook page, Nio reporting a crime.
The Alas Tensas Gender Observatory (OGAT), an independent organization tracking feminicides in Cuba, also shared the news on social media.
As confirmed to Licea by a family source and his platform collaborators, the perpetrator of Mariolis's murder "was not caught in a police operation" but instead "voluntarily turned himself in to the authorities at the DTI (Technical Investigation Department) in Güines," bringing with him the firearm used in the crime, according to these sources.
When the feminicide was reported on social media, family and friends of the victim identified her killer as Michael Pérez Sanabria, although this has yet to be officially verified.
OGAT confirmed that the crime took place in multiple locations within the municipality, including the victim's home and an open field known as the "Motocross Track," involving a firearm and prior kidnapping. The independent platform also documented past instances of violence by the perpetrator against Mariolis and her mother, who suffers health consequences from earlier assaults.
The victim left behind four orphaned children: an infant, a three-year-old, a 12-year-old, and a 15-year-old girl. The two youngest are children of the perpetrator.
"This killer's name is Michael, and today he murdered my cousin Mariolis, leaving four children orphaned, two of whom are his own: a breastfeeding infant and a three-year-old boy, whom everyone adored," wrote Teresita Rodríguez, a cousin of the victim, on Facebook. She had also offered a reward for information about his whereabouts.
As of the time of writing, neither the authorities nor official media outlets have reported on the feminicide or the suspect's surrender to the police, despite the fact that he was armed.
Güines police also failed to respond to Mariolis's calls for help before the crime, a recurring pattern of negligence seen in other cases, such as that of a woman murdered in Bayamo while trying to report her attacker.
Rising Feminicide Cases in 2026
OGAT has recorded the case of Mariolis López Silio as the 20th feminicide in Cuba so far in 2026. During the same period in 2025, there were 14 victims, marking a 42.86% increase in just one year.
April has become the most violent month of the year, with at least seven confirmed feminicides. Just two days before Mariolis's murder, in the same province of Mayabeque, a double feminicide claimed the lives of a mother and her young daughter: Rosalí Peña Hernández, 31, and Camila, 12, were killed by the woman's partner in Batabanó.
The 2022 Cuban Penal Code does not define feminicide as a standalone crime—only as an aggravating factor—and the regime does not release official statistics on gender-based violence.
On April 25, the Cuban Foreign Ministry stated on social media that "there is and will be no impunity in Cuba for acts of gender-based violence," a declaration that contrasts starkly with the 20 documented feminicides in just four months and the complete lack of official data.
Understanding Feminicide in Cuba
What is the current legal status of feminicide in Cuba?
In Cuba, feminicide is not recognized as a separate crime under the 2022 Penal Code. It is considered an aggravating factor rather than a standalone offense.
How many feminicides have been reported in Cuba in 2026?
As of now, there have been 20 reported cases of feminicide in Cuba during 2026, according to the Alas Tensas Gender Observatory.
What role does Alas Tensas Gender Observatory play in Cuba?
Alas Tensas Gender Observatory is an independent organization that monitors and documents feminicides and gender-based violence in Cuba, providing crucial data in the absence of official statistics.