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Three men were arrested in Jujuy on January 7, accused of being the perpetrators of the hate attack suffered by a trans woman on December 31 in La Ovejería, a small town in the jurisdiction of the municipality of Monterrico, about 43 kilometers from San Salvador de Jujuy.

The attack, which caused shock in Monterrico and among the LGBTI+ community of Jujuy, occurred on Tuesday, December 31st. It took place on a soccer field located in the populous 25 de Mayo neighborhood of La Ovejería.

Regional Assistant Prosecutor Daniela Vanesa Guerrero stated that one of the assailants, identified only as G. Torres (24 years old), struck her in the face with an iron bar. This caused a fractured jaw and left her unconscious. The other two accused men, F. Rocha (31) and A. Condori (32), prevented the victim from escaping. The attack was stopped by the intervention of the trans woman's brother, who chased the assailants away.

The men were arrested on January 7, by order of Judge Cristian Leonardo Molina. Three homes in the 25 de Mayo neighborhood were raided, where Torres, Rocha, and Condori were apprehended . They are accused of "aggravated assault motivated by racial or religious hatred, gender, or sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression."

The continuation of the criminal case was left in the charge of the gender violence prosecutor María Emilia Curten Haquim.

“We are exposed to everything”

Andy Glam, a representative of the Iron Ladies Foundation, stated that this act of violence is part of the ongoing violence suffered by LGBTQ+ people in Jujuy. This violence includes the lack of employment opportunities for members of this community, which leaves them with "the only option left is prostitution."

In the complex world of prostitution, “we are exposed to all of this,” because “you never know what kind of man you’re going to run into,” and there are men who feel entitled “to treat us like a piece of meat ,” she told Presentes. Furthermore, in their daily lives they also suffer aggression, especially insults.

In the province of Jujuy, the trans employment quota is not being applied; the provincial government has not even adopted the national law. Furthermore, with Javier Milei's rise to power, there has been a setback in acquired rights, with trans people losing their jobs. This was the case of Andy Glam, who was fired (along with other workers) from the Ministry of Social Development.

The last exit

Andy Glam emphasized that “there are many capable women” and yet, “the only path left for them is prostitution” because they lack other sources of employment, compounded by the fact that some are marginalized and work as prostitutes, becoming the sole breadwinners for their families. “Our ongoing struggle is for the State to guarantee that 1%” trans job quota, she asserted.

The young trans woman attacked in La Ovejería had the support of the Damas de Hierro Foundation to file the complaint and receive support from the Provincial Council of Women, Equality and Diversities of the province.

The representative of the Foundation in La Ovejería told Presentes that there have been other attacks against members of the community. These incidents are not usually reported because, in general, “the justice system and the police don't do much either.” She noted that in this case, the investigation is progressing because the Foundation took the initiative and received support from the Provincial Council for Women. The representative, who asked that her identity and that of the victim be protected, said that the attacker used to harass the trans woman. She added that it is common for them to be mistreated, “there's always something like insults or things people say behind your back” and “mocking comments,” but as a form of protection, they try not to dwell on it.