Patricia Ramírez, the trans activist run over by a hit-and-run driver, has died.
They are demanding a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of trans activist Patricia Ramírez. The driver who hit her fled the scene, and the man who was with her on the motorcycle gave a confusing account.
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CORRIENTES, Argentina . Patricia Ramírez, an active leader of the Transversal Front of the Corrientes Transfeminist Force and a strong advocate for trans employment quotas, died at the age of 41, after the motorcycle on which she was riding as a passenger was hit by a car whose driver fled the scene.
The incident occurred during the early hours of Saturday, December 24th at 03:40. At that time, according to the report from the Corrientes Police, “a collision was registered between a Fiat brand motor vehicle and a Yamaha FZ brand motorcycle, driven by a 45-year-old man on Las Heras street –between Naples and Trento–, in the jurisdiction of the Eighteenth Police Station” of the city of Corrientes.
The head of the Institutional Relations Department of the Corrientes Police, Commissioner Sergio Aguilar, told Presentes that the investigation determined that the woman “was a passenger on a motorcycle that collided with a car, and the driver fled the scene.” He has not yet been located.
The man driving the motorcycle, after being treated at the Escuela Hospital, "was detained because his version of events was confusing." In his initial statements, he claimed that the victim was a pedestrian who was injured in the collision between the two vehicles.
However, it was determined that Patricia Ramírez was riding on the motorcycle with the man. It was also determined that the man pretended not to know her and that, after the traffic accident, both were taken to the hospital.
Hit and run over and abandonment of a person
Patricia left for work Friday night and did not return home. Her family and friends began searching for her on Saturday and found her at the San Martín Teaching Hospital. She was in intensive care due to the severity of her injuries and died on Monday, December 26.
On Sunday, December 25, family, friends, fellow activists, and LGBTQ+ organizations, along with Hilda Pressman, a lawyer from the Corrientes Human Rights Commission, led a sit-in in front of the prosecutor's office. They demanded that the events be clarified and continue to call for justice for Patricia.
The official version
The Provincial Minister of Security, Buenaventura Duarte, made a statement after the incident became public. He affirmed that “it has been officially confirmed that a white Fiat Uno collided with the vehicle in which he was a passenger and then fled the scene.”
“Unfortunately, there are no neighborhood security cameras in the area. The matter is being investigated by the courts, under the direction of prosecutor Meza, and I believe this situation will be clarified,” Buenaventura Duarte emphasized.
The prosecutor in charge of the case is Sonia Meza. She explained that they are working diligently with police officers from the Criminal Investigation Division to locate the vehicle involved. “We are reviewing surveillance camera footage to obtain precise information about the vehicle and, above all, its license plate,” she stated.
Renowned activist from Corrientes
Patricia Ramírez was a leading figure in the Transversal Front of the Corrientes Transfeminist Force, an active advocate for trans employment quotas. Her untimely death left a bitter taste in the mouths of the LGBTIQ+ community, as it reopens the debate about the injustice suffered by trans women in the workplace and the limited opportunities they have for professional development.
"The important reference that we lost in Corrientes was also a member of the Ñanderecó textile cooperative, which represents a work alternative for the transgender community. She also participated in the Ñandé Mbareté troupe of the Juan XXIII neighborhood in the neighborhood carnivals," Nancy Coronel, president of the troupe, Presentes
One of the pioneers of the Pride March in Corrientes
Patricia was one of the first to organize and lead the Pride March in the province. She fervently demanded the trans job quota, which is not applied in Corrientes and forces many trans women to work in unfavorable and dangerous environments.
In that regard, Teresita Paz, a friend of the activist, spoke harshly about the various situations of violence and vulnerability to which trans women are exposed at night. “Patricia died in the age range in which trans women die ,” she said.
Various community organizations and movements demanded an investigation into her death. “The loss is irreparable. Patricia was an activist for trans rights and employment quotas, she was a carnival performer, a very well-educated young woman. She was indispensable,” said Teresita Paz, an activist from Corrientes.
She once again blamed the absent state, the state that fails to provide support. The same state that does not pass the necessary laws to end the precarious situation of trans women who, like Patricia, lack stable employment. The province of Corrientes has not yet adopted the National Law on Employment Quotas for Transvestite, Transsexual, and Transgender People.
“It is the State’s responsibility because it does not apply the trans employment quota, because if it were applied, our colleagues would not be forced into sexual slavery. The national, provincial, and municipal governments are responsible,” she stated.
The unjust death of an indispensable person
After Patricia's death was announced, many voices rose up to pay tribute to her. The Corrientes Transfeminist Force mourned Ramírez "with immense sorrow." They affirmed, "From every town that makes up the Corrientes Transfeminist Force, we embrace the family and, more than ever, we will take up the banners of struggle that La Patri always championed. We will also fight for justice for La Patri; we will search and fight until everyone responsible is held accountable for her death."
From Vientos de Libertad MTE Disidencias , they rejected the fact that “transfemicides continue to occur due to an absent state. Activist Patricia Ramírez always fought for the proper implementation of the trans-travesti employment quota in the province, and for all the rights violated against the LGBTQB+ community. We demand that what happened be clarified.”
The Furia Travesti Foundation referred to “La Pato” as a “supportive and courageous comrade who was an inspiration. All that remains to be said is that you broke down all barriers and showed this world, with its lack of inclusion, that you could succeed and that it is possible.” They pointed to the “absent provincial government” as the main culprit, “which pushes trans women into marginalization and death.”
FunDHEG published a heartfelt message that reads, “A day of great sorrow. Pato, Patricia Ramírez, one of the leading figures in the fight for LGBTI rights in Corrientes, was killed. We demand an investigation and justice for Patricia,” they wrote on their Instagram account.
“She was one of the first brave women to lead the first Pride march in Corrientes. An active political activist and an incredible designer and artist. A constant companion and advocate for her friends, but also for the entire LGBTI community.”
Dylan Cardozo, President of the Corrientes Diversa Foundation, posted, “Thank you for teaching me so much, for accompanying me in this resistance, in activism and militancy. Our political differences were never excuses for not embracing each other in this life that is so hard. And for not talking about what we could do from our place for our community… You were and will be one of the most important LEADERS in our province… My comrade Patricia didn't die! My comrade Patricia was murdered!!!”
From Cataleya, Casa Trans Bella Vista added their deep sorrow for the death of Patricia, who “with her tireless struggle taught us until her last day to demand our rights. Our comrade Patricia did not die. Our comrade Patricia was murdered.”
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