2 women slain early Sunday in separate incidents
---
The two femicides that occurred on Valentine’s Day weekend serve as a painful reminder that the fight to eradicate gender violence is far from over in Puerto Rico, several active advocates for stronger protections for women said Sunday.
As shelters for female victims of domestic violence face the threat of federal funding cuts, shelter directors are calling on the government to provide financial support for the organizations and develop violence prevention initiatives.
“Given the terrible news of two femicides committed on the same day, and three in a week that is supposed to celebrate love, we urge that prevention initiatives and services for victims and survivors be prioritized,” said Coraly León, president of the National Network of Gender Violence Shelters. “Domestic violence and femicides are not isolated incidents; they are forms of violence that have become normalized in our country, and we share the responsibility to address this issue. This normalization of violence is costing women their lives in Puerto Rico.”
Early Sunday morning, two women were slain in separate incidents in Guayama and Villalba, according to police reports.
In Guayama, Lisalee Escalante Espada, 28, a mother of three children aged 7, 9 and 11, was killed by her partner after an argument on 16th Street in the Jardines de Guamaní residential area.
Authorities encountered Escalante Espada’s body in the front seat of a Nissan, which was driven by a friend who took the woman to a hospital emergency room.
Authorities were questioning the suspect early Sunday.
Meanwhile, a man arrived at Police Bureau district headquarters in Juana Díaz in the early hours of Sunday and said he had killed his wife.
The police arrived at the subject’s residence, in the Romero neighborhood in Villalba, where they found the body of Mildred Beatriz Colón Bonilla lying on the bed covered with a sheet.
“We must prioritize, as we have been demanding for years, education and prevention initiatives,” León said. “It is also critical that service centers, including shelters for domestic violence survivors, have the necessary resources to continue their life-saving services. We are currently facing uncertainty due to potential cuts in federal funds, and an immediate response from the local government is imperative to maintain essential services that save lives every day. The emergency situation due to domestic violence, femicides and sexual violence continues. We call for the approval of Joint Resolution #11, which would allocate $1 million to the shelters that are part of the network, ensuring the continuity of the only service that guarantees the safety of survivors and their children 100% of the time.”
Lisdel Flores Barger, executive director of the Hogar Ruth shelter, stressed that “[t]o effectively address the problem of domestic violence, we need more than speeches and occasional expressions of sympathy each time a woman is murdered by her partner.”
“In 2024 alone, there were 24 intimate femicides, and already this year, we have had four, two of which occurred this Valentine’s Day weekend,” she said. “Despite the frequent incidents of femicide, the state’s response remains insufficient; we need concrete and sustained measures over time.”
She added that prevention “must be a priority, and this requires education starting in childhood to dismantle the foundations of sexist violence.”
“We cannot continue addressing this problem solely through emergency responses; we need policies that ensure the sustainability and strengthening of services for victims and survivors,” Flores Barger said. “Additionally, domestic violence is not only a problem for those who experience it directly; it affects society as a whole. Making this issue visible, recognizing it as a human rights crisis, and demanding strong actions are responsibilities we all share. We cannot allow these numbers to continue to rise in silence.”
Deborah Maldonado, president of Kilometers of Change, an event featuring 50 female athletes in a three-day relay race across Puerto Rico to raise funds for shelters, also shared her recommendations against gender-based violence.
“It is crucial to ensure the continuity of shelters and emergency hotlines for women in danger,” she said. “At this critical moment, with federal funds frozen, the work of these organizations is threatened, putting the lives of many women who seek protection and support at risk. We cannot allow a lack of resources to limit the assistance so many victims need. We must not react only in times of tragedy; prevention is key. This begins with emotional education, access to help before violence manifests, and the strengthening of protection services.”
Maldonado also emphasized the need for prevention campaigns and services aimed at men, offering them tools to manage their emotions without resorting to violence.
