Activists protest for justice as hate crimes go unpunished in Mexico
Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, July 15 (EFE).- A group of activists demonstrated in Mexico’s northern state of Chihuahua on Friday, pressing the government to enact proposed legislation that protects the human rights and security of transgender people — an often persecuted group in the country.
The activists protested outside the Chihuahua State Attorney General’s Office in the regional capital, remembering the horrible murder of Mireya Rodriguez, a trans woman, rights advocate, and HIV health promoter.
Mireya Rodriguez, a member of the Union of Trans Women of Chihuahua, was stabbed to death at her house outside Chihuahua City in September 2020.
Members of the group alleged that she had received threats, and the authorities did not take that seriously.
Her alleged murderer was freed, even though she was one of 24 trans individuals killed in Chihuahua in recent years.
According to activist Manuel Infante, they want better government protection for women who “are in danger due of their sexual orientation.”
“It is critical to protect trans women’s rights, ensure their safety, and remove prejudice,” Infante added.
Another protester, Paloma, stated that despite more than 70 pieces of evidence in Mireya Rodrguez’s murder, “The authorities considered freeing the accused.”
According to Paloma, perpetrators of hate crimes are rarely held accountable by authorities, and “those who attack trans women are not judged according to the law.”
According to Débora lvarez, numerous trans women have been killed in recent years in the northern state.
“We want a society, in general, to understand what we are experiencing. We live in an era in which authorities do nothing for us,” Álvarez told EFE.
According to human rights organizations, Mexico is the world’s second most dangerous country for transgender people.
Only Brazil has greater incidences of transphobia and transgender violence. The majority of attacks, including murder, go unpunished.
In 2020, the Letter S organization documented 79 hate crimes against LGBT persons.
More than half of the victims were transgender women. About a quarter were gay men. EFE
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