Keili González reported that while walking through downtown Nogoyá, Entre Ríos, a group of men insulted and threatened her from a car for over a block and a half. She has already filed a report with the prosecutor's office, and a demonstration will be held tomorrow in front of the courthouse. At midnight on Sunday, March 12, Keili González was heading to the red-light district of Nogoyá, Entre Ríos province. She has long walked those blocks to help women in prostitution, bringing them condoms and over-the-counter medications. As she walked, a car braked abruptly, cutting her off. "Faggots like you need to disappear," a group of men began shouting at her from a dark car, while blinding her with a spotlight. For over a block and a half, the insults and threats mingled with the music blaring from the car's stereo. Despite her fear and the bright lights, Keili was able to recognize one of them.

Local figurehead in a conservative city

Keili is 24 years old, a social communicator, and works in the press office of the local municipality. When she was 17, she became a local icon for sexual diversity because she managed to get the authorities at the Antonio Sagarna Normal School—where she was the flag bearer in her fifth year—to allow her to attend classes dressed according to her gender expression. After posting on her Facebook account details of what happenedAccompanied by her family, friends, classmates, and social organizations, she reported the incident to the authorities. "It's very important that this violence comes to light so that other girls who experience the same thing will report it," the young woman stated. Nogoyá is a city of 28,000 inhabitants, located 107 kilometers from Paraná, the capital of Entre Ríos province.

Disappearances and torture

“It’s a traditional, conservative city with deep Catholic roots, where everyone keeps quiet. It’s the city with the highest number of disappeared persons relative to its population during the dictatorship,” said Juan Cruz Varela, editor of Página Judicial. Last year, residents were shocked by the arrival of provincial and national media outlets reporting on the physical and psychological torture of the Discalced Carmelite nuns at the city’s convent.

Legal filings and mobilization

On Wednesday the 15th, Keili, along with her lawyer Marianela Manassali, expanded her complaint before the Nogoyá Prosecutor's Office, headed by Prosecutor Guillermo Uriburu, so that the case would be classified under the Gender Violence Law. "Furthermore, thanks to the statement of the mother of the boy Keili recognized, we were able to find out who the other people were with her," she told [the publication] Present The lawyer added that Keili received a legal notice from one of the aggressors who felt "offended" by the complaint she filed on social media. "We consider this a psychological threat to force her to drop the charges," she stated. Prosecutor Uriburu reported that restraining orders have been issued, preventing the aggressors from approaching or harassing the complainant. He explained that, for now, these are generic, "unpleasant" incidents. However, they will be investigated. Tomorrow at 5 p.m., the Dissident Forum, the MST (Socialist Workers' Movement), and other local organizations will gather in front of the Nogoyá courthouse. "This gathering is to raise awareness of what happened, but above all, in solidarity with all our comrades. We women need to recognize that we are victims of a system that condones this type of behavior and guarantees certain practices for heterosexuals," Keili told [the press] Present.

Follow Presentes:

]]>