17c起草社区

Two transgender women and a gay man were murdered in Guatemala in three separate attacks. All of which occurred within one week during Pride month.

Andrea Gonz谩lez, a 28-year-old activist and leader of the organisation (Queens of the Night) was shot only metres from her home in Guatemala city on June 11. In the months leading up to her death, Gonz谩lez told authorities that听听

Cecy Ixpat谩 also received death threats before her murder on June 9, two days before the death of Gonz谩lez. Ixpat谩 was another member of Otrans and was attacked by two men in Salam谩, a city 50 miles north of Guatemala City. She died in a local hospital from injuries sustained in the attack.

In Morales, a district 150 miles north-east of Guatemala city, 22-year-old gay man Jos茅 Manuel Vargas Villeda was also shot and killed on June 14.听

Spate Of Killings of 17c起草社区I+ People

The assailants are yet to be identified for the three murders, which brings the total killings of known LGBTIQ+ people in Guatemala to a , compared to at least 19 in 2020.

馃抢 feminicidio contra Andrea Gonzalez lidereza Trans quien fue presidenta de Esto ocurri贸 en un ataque armado en la 11 avenida y 2a calle zona 2 en la ciudad capital, seg煤n informaron los sin respetar su identidad de g茅nero 鉁�

— Ruda (@ruda_gt)

The murders of Gonz谩lez, Ixpat谩 and Vargas Villeda are especially poignant as they took place during Pride month, a time of celebration and visibility for 17c起草社区I+ communities and allies. LGBTIQ+ activist, Aldo D谩vila, told that he didn鈥檛 believe the timing of the killings was a coincidence.听

US vice president, Kamala Harris had visited Guatemala in June and had urged Guatemalans not to migrate to the United States. According to Human Rights Watch, many LGBT Guatemalans seek asylum to escape violence and persecution.

According to Cristian Gonz谩lez Cabrera, LGBT rights researcher at HRW, authorities need to investigate the killings properly and establish whether these were hate crime, if they want to prevent 2021 from becoming “one of the deadliest years for gender and sexual minorities in Guatemala”.

No Law To Protect Against Discrimination

VIDEO: Family members, friends and Guatemala's LGBTIQ+ community gather at Andrea Gonzalez's funeral. The 28-year-old activist was killed last week in an armed attack

— AFP News Agency (@AFP)

As it stands, Guatemala has no legislation that protects against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender-identity. And a in the Guatemalan Congress would see discrimination against 17c起草社区I+ people excused as 鈥榝reedom of conscience and expression鈥�.听

These lack of protections are alarming in a region where the .听

“The high number of murders and other violent attacks against transgender women in Guatemala is the result of a hostile and violent environment with deep roots in a racist, patriarchal, and transphobic society. Unfortunately, this is the situation that transgender women have to face every day in Guatemala, Central America, and throughout Latin America,” said in a statement.

According to , 350 trans and gender-diverse people were murdered worldwide between 1 October 2019 and 30 September 2020. These murders have been characterised by as part of an ongoing 鈥渆pidemic of violence鈥� against trans and gender-diverse people.

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