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By Sandra Maidana, from Mar del Plata

In the early hours of March 6, residents of the Jorge Newbery neighborhood in Mar del Plata were alerted by smoke from a fire that had broken out in a house at the corner of 210th Street and Colón Avenue. Once firefighters extinguished the blaze, they discovered the body of the resident, 68-year-old Alberto Jesús Ochandio, inside. The autopsy, ordered by Prosecutor Alejandro Pellegrinelli of District Attorney's Office No. 5, revealed more than twenty stab wounds. The brutality, violence, and intent to burn the body to destroy evidence are typical of a hate crime, activists denounce.  

Two days after the crime, the alleged murderer was arrested: a 27-year-old man with blood-stained clothing and some of the victim's belongings. The young man had a romantic relationship with Jesús. Although he denied the charges in his court statement, he remains in custody at Unit 44 of the Batán Penitentiary, and the prosecution has fifteen days—which can be extended—to continue the investigation and request pretrial detention.

“She loved the theater”

Jesús had a family consisting of his brother Daniel, his nieces Yanina and Daiana, three great-nieces and nephews, and one on the way. Yanina spoke with Agencia Presentes. “My uncle was a wonderful person. He loved the theater. He was a huge fan of Mirtha Legrand, whom he often imitated, and when she came to Mar del Plata, he would go to see her. She knew him, she knew he imitated her, and she enjoyed watching him.”

In his youth, Jesús took acting classes with Norman Briski. “In Mar del Plata, he worked teaching acting. At birthday parties, he would dress up and always put on a show for us, and at the kids' parties too. He was very funny.”

He belonged to the Atahualpa Cooperative, where he worked in the informal economy . One of his friends, Cintia Pili, a gender and diversity advocate within the organization, remembers him fondly. “I’ve known him for over 25 years, back in his prime. Always in good spirits. Very well-liked. He worked cleaning public restrooms in city squares.” These jobs are usually done by women, but he was the only man in that position.

“This is a hate crime.”

“He was supportive and active,” Cintia recounts. “He cooked at La Ollita community kitchen, which provided meals for 200 families. He was also happy because this year he was going to start teaching theater classes for free.” The courses were planned at Casa Pueblo Unido, the social, labor, and political training center to which he belonged.

Ochandio , in her role as a drag performer and comedian, was a talented actor who created characters with which she constructed comedic pieces.

Cintia saw him on Friday, the day before his death, and he told her he had received his salary. However, she cannot link his murder to a robbery. “It was a hate crime based on his sexual orientation. His partner was arrested; he set the body on fire to cover up the evidence.”

Cintia asserts that “It’s not just about apologizing. Violence is a matter of class. We are all different, we are all diverse in the world. But we are survivors. Jesús achieved many things; he achieved a sense of belonging, he achieved a sense of being and feeling supported. Unfortunately, he crossed paths with someone who murdered him.”

“We have achieved many things through unity. We have been able to overcome our differences in human rights, such as marriage equality, the gender identity law, and the trans quota. We must continue to advance in securing new rights for all people living on Argentine soil. It is impossible to understand how there can be so much hatred towards such wonderful people who harmed no one, like Jesús. I only hope that justice will be served.”

"We demand an anti-discrimination law"

In their official statement, the Atahualpa cooperative declared that "La Ochandio was a beloved and supportive comrade. He worked cleaning and maintaining public restrooms with 40 other women workers in the informal economy of our Movement and helped out in the kitchen of a community dining hall. He was also a highly talented drag performer and theater teacher who brought humorous characters to life and made people laugh; acting was his passion."

“Our organization, together with AMI (Asociación Mundo Igualitario de Mar del Plata), shares in the grief of his family and demands justice. We highlight his dissident identity and call for an anti-discrimination law to address sexist violence against gender and sexual minorities. We will always cherish the memory of this great comrade and activist.”

The family is looking for a lawyer.

Yanina just arrived from the courthouse where she went to inquire about the status of the case. They told her they would be summoned as soon as there were any updates. They are looking for a lawyer. Daniel, her only brother, is bewildered, unable to comprehend. In a report that aired on a local television channel, he appeared so distraught he could barely speak. “It wasn't a natural death. She was the only one he had left of his family,” his niece explained.

Details of the news were still unknown when the March 8th demonstration began, drawing massive crowds in Mar del Plata. More than ten blocks of people marched along the avenues, observing all possible health precautions. The procession carried a banner, chanted slogans, and applauded in recognition of Jesús, his life, and his ever-present humor.

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