[READ ALSO: Another trans woman attacked in Peru: 76 attacks in 2018] It was the victim's brother who found her body the next day around 8:00 a.m. when he went to wake her for breakfast. Karla was half-naked in her bed with a red electrical cord around her neck. The main suspect is a Venezuelan citizen identified as Luis López. Family and friends say the two were in a relationship. Luisa Revilla, a trans councilwoman from La Libertad, told Presentes that the Prosecutor's Office and the Criminal Investigation Division (Divincri) are already investigating.

“We need real action, they are killing us.”

“We, from Trujillo-La Libertad, call upon and demand that our national representatives of the LGBTQ+ community help us stop this. No more hate crimes; we need real action. They are killing us.” Revilla also stated that Ombudsman Walter Gutiérrez Camacho has committed to participating in a demonstration organized by LGBTQ+ groups in La Libertad on November 22nd, where they will demand an end to crimes against the LGBTQ+ population. The councilwoman also reported that the Public Prosecutor's Office would conclude its investigations within 10 days, and it would then be up to Prosecutor Esteban Safra to issue an arrest warrant for the main suspect.

Burial with social name

Karla was buried with her chosen name, “and that’s a big step we’ve been able to take. The family was made aware of the issue and chose to have that name on the cross to respect her identity,” Revilla stated. Representatives of the La Libertad Trans Women’s Network told Presentes that this is the second murder of a trans woman in less than 15 days. On November 3, Brenda Zarit Sifuentes Andrade, 36, was murdered. Brenda was found with her throat slashed inside her home, also in the La Esperanza district. Her body was found with multiple stab wounds, ruling out robbery as a motive.

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