By Airam Fernández, from Limache. Photos: Josean Rivera. On the second anniversary of the murder of Nicole Saavedra, the 23-year-old lesbian who was kidnapped, beaten, and tortured to death, her family organized a memorial service on Sunday, June 24, near the Los Aromos reservoir, two hours from Santiago. This is the place where her body was found lifeless.

The prosecutor from Limache has been relieved of the case.

Despite the pain of their loss and the frustration of a case with no progress in the investigation, their family says they are more at ease: last week the National Prosecutor's Office informed them, through an official letter, that the prosecutor of Limache, Juan Emilio Gatica, He will finally be relieved of the case. This was something they had been demanding for months. They were informed that the investigation will now be handled by the prosecutor in Quillota, Ymay Ortiz Pulgar. “I know Nicole hoped I would find her while she was kidnapped. Unfortunately, I couldn't, but my promise now is to find justice. I hope the news of the change of prosecutor will lead us to that,” said María Bahamondes, the victim's cousin, during the meeting.

[READ MORE: Hate crime: Nicole Saavedra's family marched and demanded a change of prosecutor]]

In addition to family and friends, the event commemorating the two-year anniversary was attended by lesbian feminist activists from Concepción, Valparaíso, and Santiago. Silvana del Valle, a lawyer with the Chilean Network Against Violence Against Women and the Saavedra Bahamondes family's legal representative, also expressed confidence in the likelihood of progress. “The fact that the prosecutor is a woman gives us confidence, at least in terms of empathy. We haven't met her yet because she's on medical leave, but we were told that as soon as she returns, she'll be in charge,” the lawyer told Presentes, before the ceremony began.

[READ MORE #CHILE The hate crime against Nicole Saavedra remains unpunished: request to the National Prosecutor's Office]]

“Let our memory build rebellion”

On a mountain that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, where only the whisper of the wind and the echoing birdsong could be heard, the young women of the Teatro en Movimiento Callejerx (Street Theater Movement) from Valparaíso began their tribute. “We came more to accompany than to intervene,” said Ximena Cañas, director of the theater group made up of students from different universities and artistic disciplines in Valparaíso. With a performance called Memory, dressed in black, whistling, singing, raising the banner "May our memory build rebellion", they led the way from the entrance of the reservoir to the exact spot where Nicole was found on June 25, 2016.

There they set up an altar with things she loved: wine, water, herbs, sweets, a book, a plant, musical instruments, a paw print made by her dog Gaspar, palo santo, and incense, all on a colorful blanket. And there they also recited a poem titled "Impunity," which they set to music. It was written by one of her friends. Further down, at the entrance to the reservoir, they placed a grotto and, next to a photograph, left blue flowers. "An Angel for an Ending," a song by Silvio Rodríguez, accompanied the moment. Olga, her mother, was the only one in the family who didn't break down. She remained silent for those two hours, leaning on one of her nieces. "I just want to thank you for being here. If you don't see me crying, it's because I have no more tears," she said at the end of the ceremony.

Two years without Nicole Saavedra: neither justice nor progress

[READ MORE: Hate crime: Valparaíso Regional Prosecutor's Office takes part in Nicole Saavedra case ]

Nicole was last seen alive on the morning of June 18, 2016. She was missing for a week before being found murdered. According to the autopsy, she died from multiple head and facial traumas. There are still no official hypotheses, suspects, or defendants. In April of last year, the then-prosecutor in charge, Juan Emilio Gatica, told Presentes that, due to a lack of witnesses, he could not confirm the theory that her family still maintains: that she was killed because she was a lesbian. ]]>