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On this day, Tehuel De La Torre was last seen alive. For almost a year—because the disappearance of the young trans man only became public a few days later, and the mainstream media was slow to pick up on it—the question "Where is Tehuel?" echoed through the streets of Argentina. His face remains present in every march, every protest, in countless plazas across the country. But to this day, the question "Where is Tehuel?" remains unanswered, even though he is one of the most wanted people in the country. 

What has been reconstructed so far

Tehuel left the house in San Vicente on March 11th around 7:00 PM, where he lived with his mother, his partner Luciana, and her young son. He said he was going to meet with a man who had told him about a job. On the way, as he was about to arrive, he ran into one of his sisters, Verónica. They met by chance on the street at 7:30 PM. Tehuel had just gotten off the bus at the corner of Asamblea and Presidente Perón Avenue, very close to the house of the man who had offered him the job: Luis Ramos, now one of the two arrested and charged. 

Verónica accompanied her mother on several of the searches. During the first months of the search, she made statements. "We want to hug him or mourn him. Tehuel's silence is a cry for justice," she said in an interview with Presentes several months ago. Lately, she has preferred silence.

How is the investigation progressing and when will the trial be?

The charge against Luis Alberto Montes and Oscar Ramos is aggravated homicide motivated by hatred of gender identity.

According to the timeline established by the Prosecutor's Office investigating the Tehuel case, the case is expected to go to trial this year. However, sources connected to the case report that there is no certainty that the trial will actually begin in 2022. 

Tehuel lived with his mother and Luciana, his partner, although he had lived almost his entire life with his father. To this day, his father struggles to accept his son's gender identity. Now, his father, Andrés, is requesting that the case be reopened to consider the possibility that it is a case of human trafficking. This was a possibility investigated by the courts at one point, but the hypothesis lost traction over the months. 

The tests

There are still some cases pending resolution, but so far DNA evidence —at the home of one of the detainees—matching blood samples taken from the family of the young trans man. Clothing and his cell phone, almost destroyed by fire, were also found near the same address. 

The case also includes cell phone records —mainly from one of the accused—and a photo of Tehuel taken on the day of his disappearance with those who were later arrested. There is also extensive testimony from people who provided additional information to the investigation.

The Prosecutor's Office highlighted the participation of those who provided information, as well as the collaboration of the Ministry of Women, Gender Policies and Sexual Diversity of the province of Buenos Aires, various organizations linked to the collective, the Center for Legal and Social Studies, and provincial and federal forces that supported the search.

As for the detainees, although they testified – after remaining silent for almost 8 months– at the time of the charges by the Prosecutor's Office, they did not provide any valuable information in relation to the search.

One of the most complex aspects of the investigation is precisely this: the fact that there are no traces of Tehuel's body is something that benefits the defendants today. 

The search

Tehuel was sought through raids on various homes, searches (which took place mainly in waste treatment areas and pig farms), institutional surveys in hospitals and other facilities, security cameras and aerial operations. 

The search began without a gender perspective – later it was expanded, as indicated by the charge:  aggravated homicide due to hatred of gender identity– although complying with the procedures established in the protocol for the disappearance of persons.

In November 2021, the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity submitted a document to the prosecutor's office requesting "that an investigation be carried out with a gender and diversity perspective, incorporating international protocols and standards on the matter."  

“Judicial investigations do not adopt the specific perspective that accounts for the historical, social and legal context in which violence against LGBTI+ people, and especially against transvestite and trans people, is inscribed,” Greta Pena, Undersecretary of Diversity Policies at the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity, told Presentes. 

“International standards also indicate that efforts must be intensified to clarify and ensure that these types of crimes do not go unpunished. Our country has made enormous progress, but the phenomenon is structural and global. Therefore, we must strengthen public policies that break down barriers to accessing rights. Let us remember that Tehuel disappeared while searching for work. Employment quotas are fundamental, as is fostering a cultural shift.” 

The Ministry of Security announced today that it has increased the reward to 5 million pesos for anyone who can provide information that helps to find him.

The mobilization and the demand: Where is Tehuel?

The organizations have kept the demand alive since the news broke. The mainstream media were slow to give visibility to the search for Tehuel. 

The way she disappeared – going to an interview for a precarious job – the fact that she was unable to finish high school or get a permanent job – speaks to her gender identity and other intersections. 

LGBT+ organizations continue to demand justice, insist on the ongoing search, and emphasize the need to address and make visible the vulnerabilities faced by the trans community, particularly trans men. 

“We must continue to raise our voices to say enough to hate crimes based on our identity and demand justice for Tehuel and the thousands of other trans people who are still victims of hatred caused by stigma and discrimination,” said Nadir Cardozo, a trans leader from ATTTA CABA and Fundación Huésped. “It is a great pain for our community, caused by the uncertainty of not knowing what happened to him or where he is.” In that sense, referring to the case, she emphasized that it highlights the hatred that trans people still suffer.

Shortly before the 10th anniversary of the Gender Identity Law, “We still encounter hate speech and barriers to accessing our basic rights. The State must guarantee our safety and a better quality of life, as these are still outstanding issues for us.” 

The request comes across almost as a plea. That the demand for Tehuel's reappearance not be silenced in society, and that it not be limited to a flag representing the various LGBT+ organizations. We are not all here. Tehuel is missing.