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GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala. Cleo Quinteros Hernández was 27 years old and originally from San José Pinula (located 22 kilometers from the capital). She had been working as a sex worker in the city for the past five years. Her colleagues found her dead in her room on September 1.

Valentina de Paz was murdered inside a bar located at 2nd Avenue “A” and 1st Street in Zone 11 of Guatemala City on August 26. The hitman mistook her for another trans woman and shot her, leaving her on the floor. Restaurant staff carried her out of the street while she was still alive. When the police arrived, according to witnesses, she was calling for help and choking. The National Civil Police did not allow them to assist her because “it could contaminate the crime scene.”

Both were transgender sex workers.

With these transfemicides, the number of hate crimes registered against LGBTI+ people in Guatemala this year has reached 23, according to Diego Lima of the Violent Deaths Observatory of the Lambda Association, who spoke to Presentes.

"Today, the nine-day memorial mass was held for Valentina de Paz, a comrade who was murdered and violated in her final moments. The refusal to provide her with first aid in her agony was very sad and painful. Seeing a comrade die who gave everything for the Trébol Collective, leaving her legacy as a good friend, advisor, and the humility she always possessed, leaving a piece of love in every heart, along with her joy and spontaneous smile, was truly heartbreaking. She was unique. Rest in peace, sister and comrade in struggle and survival. Some of us have come together to set up a small altar in each home in her memory... until we meet again, baby. We love you ❤️ ," wrote the Trans Sex Workers Collective of El Trébol Zone 11 .

Valentina de Paz was one of the protagonists of the podcast published by this agency: Trans activists in Guatemala fight against a system that denies them access to health .

Diego Lima indicated that, so far, of the 25 cases of violent deaths registered this year, all are in the preparatory stage of investigation at the Public Ministry.

Cleo

According to Vicky Ventura, coordinator of the Trans Network of the organization Otrans Reinas de la Noche, Cleo had already survived an attack in 2018. Her family had searched for her at the national morgue (INACIF) that year, believing she had been killed. When they found her, Cleo showed signs of torture with knife wounds to her head, face, and abdomen.

Amid an election year and international condemnation of threats to democracy in Guatemala, the Observatory for Violent Deaths has reported 67 cases of non-homicidal everyday violence against members of the LGBTQ+ community in 2023. The departments of Escuintla and San Marcos have the highest number of repeat offenders, while Guatemala and Izabal have the highest number of violent deaths.

Diego Lima indicated that, so far, of the 25 cases of violent deaths registered this year, all are in the preparatory stage of investigation at the Public Ministry.