Trans and travesti rights organizations are denouncing police abuses in La Plata. Legal complaints have been filed regarding two raids in February and for an investigation into the death of Pamela Macedo Pandu, who was detained in a prison in Florencio Varela. During the early mornings of February 22nd and 25th, a police operation in La Plata resulted in the search and stripping of a group of trans women. Accused of alleged drug possession, they were taken to the police station, and some remain there. According to Claudia Vázquez Haro, a representative of OTRANS Argentina, this is yet another example of the web of persecution and discrimination to which the trans and travesti community is subjected. “The misconduct, the stigmatization, and the arrests are the response of an increasingly intolerant state. They criminalize us, imprison us, and ultimately kill us,” Vázquez Haro told Presentes .

[ALSO READ: Justice demanded for the death of a trans woman detained in Florencio Varela ]

Therefore, yesterday morning, the LGBTI Organizations Front of La Plata, Berisso, and Ensenada and OTRANS Argentina filed a legal petition. A request was made for habeas corpus Regarding the arrests of Paulet Moreno Mosquera, Angie Velázquez, and Barby Zatalalla Tahuama, these individuals were among those detained during the raids on February 22nd and 25th and remain in custody. “We also filed a complaint regarding police misconduct, holding prosecutor Álvaro Garganta, who was on duty during those days, responsible,” Vázquez Haro stated.

The prosecutor says he is unaware

The raids in February were led by the Ninth Police Station and the Women's Police Station, along with the National Directorate of Migration of the Ministry of the Interior. They took place in the so-called "red-light district" of the capital of Buenos Aires Province (located on Avenida 1, from 54th to 68th Streets; and on Diagonal 73, from 6th to 1st Streets). This operation was accompanied by extensive media coverage, with reporters arriving at the scene alongside the police. When asked about the demands of the organizations, Prosecutor Álvaro Garganta told Presents He claimed to be unaware of any irregularities in the police operation. “The operation was directly coordinated by the Ministry of Security and the Buenos Aires Provincial Police, so I was not involved, even though I was on duty,” the prosecutor stated. Garganta also indicated that “if necessary, we will investigate, and if irregularities are found, we will take action against those responsible for the operation.”

The "Zambrano ruling" is not being respected.

In addition to discrimination based on gender identity and the situation of prostitution, being a migrant also presents a significant challenge. According to a report presented by Otrans Argentina, there is an overrepresentation of trans women and transvestites deprived of their liberty in Buenos Aires prisons. The research indicates that 98% of trans women deprived of their liberty are migrants, and of all of them, 100% are incarcerated for reasons related to Law 23.737 (drug possession). “They want to deport us, accusing us of being responsible for drug sales, even though they never investigate the real drug traffickers,” said Vázquez Haro. In September 2016, the Fourth Chamber of the Court of Appeals and Guarantees of La Plata overturned a police procedure carried out by the 9th Police Station against Peruvian and Ecuadorian trans women, considering the police action “extremely degrading.” Known as the “Zambrano ruling”, the sentence prohibits searches in the street and in police stations and recognizes basic rights of trans and transvestite migrant women, which were not being respected in police procedures, but also not recognized as abuses by the Judiciary and the Public Prosecutor's Office.

Miss Trans dead in jail

Pamela Macedo Panduro, known for being crowned Miss Latin America Trans in 2014, died in prison on January 1st, after 54 days of confinement in poor conditions. She suffered from a chronic illness that worsened during her imprisonment and ultimately led to her death. OTRANS Argentina has filed a lawsuit and is demanding a thorough investigation into the circumstances of her death, as well as the conditions at Prison No. 32 in Florencio Varela. Pamela had arrived in Argentina from Peru ten years ago and was a trans activist in La Plata. She was the eldest of three siblings and the primary breadwinner for her family. “We demand a thorough investigation and that what happened to Pamela never happens to us again,” said Vásquez Haro.

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