Activists Ceci Ixpata and Andrea González were murdered: two trans women killed in less than a week in Guatemala
Andrea González, leader and president of Otrans Reinas de la Noche, and Ceci Ixtapa, of Redtrans, were murdered between June 9 and 11.
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Cecy Caricia Ixpata was a trans woman originally from Salamá, Baja Verapaz (150 kilometers from Guatemala City). She was beaten to death on June 9. She was found dying inside a market where fruits and vegetables are sold, and where she worked as a vendor. She was taken to the hospital in Salamá, where she died. Cecy had been a member of Redtrans since 2012 and was affectionately known as Morenita Consentida (Spoiled Little Brunette). Those responsible for the crime have not yet been found.
On Friday, June 11, Andrea Mutz González, 28, was shot and killed near her home at 11th Avenue and 2nd Street in Zone 2 of Guatemala City. This trans woman was a renowned human rights activist for trans people in Guatemala and president of the organization Otrans RN Reinas de la Noche (Otrans RN Queens of the Night).
Municipal firefighters transported Andrea to the San Juan de Dios General Hospital. In his official statements, fire department spokesperson Omar Ovalle violated Andrea's gender identity by referring to her as "male." He repeatedly told emergency room doctors at the hospital that "she is a man," even though the doctor hadn't asked her.
According to sources close to Presentes, who preferred to remain anonymous, several hypotheses are being discussed. Among them is the possibility that Andrea was being extorted. Another source indicates that she had received threats and filed complaints with the Public Prosecutor's Office because of her human rights work.
In her intense career as an activist, Andrea had worked on a regional human rights project and was a fellow of the U.S. State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).
The Guatemalan Network of Women Human Rights Defenders denounced the transfemicide in a statement: “With indignation and sorrow, as the Guatemalan Network of Women Human Rights Defenders, we issue this urgent alert, condemn this act, and call upon the Public Prosecutor's Office to conduct the corresponding investigations and bring those responsible to justice, thus ensuring swift justice in the case of our colleague. We also call upon the Human Rights Ombudsman's Office to monitor the process, as well as international organizations working on this issue.”«.
Until a few weeks ago, the Violent Deaths Observatory had reported 14 hate crimes so far in 2021. Among them were the murders of two underage teenagers. The transfemicides of Cecy and Andrea are now added to this list, bringing the total to three transfemicides in 2021.
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