TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras. In Honduras, the case of Leonard Fabian Torres Licona, a 33-year-old man, shocked the LGBTI community when the Police Investigation Directorate (DPI) arrested him for allegedly drugging and abusing his victims. According to authorities, his modus operandi was simple but effective: he offered slushies laced with sleeping pills to men he met through the dating app Grindr, and, once they were unconscious, he sexually abused them and stole their belongings.

Known on Grindr as "El Principe," Torres is originally from the municipality of Orica, in the department of Francisco Morazán, in central Honduras. He was captured on September 23, 2023, in Comayagüela, the twin city of the country's capital, after several complaints were filed by his victims. Some of these individuals approached the LGTBIQA+ community rights organization, the Kukulcán Association, to request support in their complaints. The president of this organization, Danny Montecinos, said that at least three people filed complaints and were accompanied to the Public Ministry to file formal complaints.

Torres found his potential victims on Grindr, the popular dating app aimed primarily at LGBTI people—mostly gay, bisexual, and transgender men. Launched in 2009, the platform uses geolocation technology, allowing users to more easily connect with people near them, increasing the chances of a physical encounter.

At first glance, Grindr may seem like a platform that promotes coexistence and peaceful interaction within the queer . However, cases like that of Leonard Torres Licona reveal that security gaps and a lack of oversight within the app have allowed users like him to use Grindr to commit crimes. The physical proximity that the platform facilitates proved to be a key advantage for Torres, allowing him to approach his victims under the promise of a consensual encounter.

“Zero feet away from the queer ,” reads its slogan, and while this may give an advantage to people looking to commit crimes, Grindr warns that it “is not responsible for what users do or say.” This disclaimer reveals a gap in user protection, which is why cases like Torres Licona’s could not generate legal problems for the company that owns the app.

Torres Licona was just one of Grindr's more than 10 million monthly users in over 190 countries. The app, in addition to connecting people around the world, generated revenue of more than $250 million in 2023, thanks to advertising and other services. Latin America is part of the extensive group of countries where Grindr has a presence, and it is in this region where concerns and complaints have arisen that question whether the platform truly complies with its privacy policies and established community standards.

Among these standards, the popular software insists that it does not tolerate discrimination, hate, violence, threats, or abuse of any kind. However, the following examples suggest otherwise.

Failures in supervision and control

Creating a profile on Grindr is a process that takes less than three minutes. The orange and black interface requests minimal information, such as an email address or phone number, to which a validation code is sent to activate the account. A date of birth is also required to verify that the user is of legal age, complying with the platform's policies. 

Like any online application, the process includes accepting terms and conditions. These vary depending on the user's country of residence; for example, if you live in a country in the European Union, the United Kingdom, or the United States, some policies are different compared to other countries due to certain arbitration , according to the site.

In Honduras, Grindr can ask users to delete their account if they violate its rules. If the user refuses, Grindr enforcement officers have the authority to remove the account or content deemed illegal. However, in practice, gaps in the oversight and enforcement of these rules call into question Grindr's ability to effectively control what happens on its platform.

Section one of the Grindr User Guidelines establishes that the services should not be used by minors. In Honduras, according to Article 16 of the Family Code, the age of majority is 21, although some rights and freedoms are granted starting at 18.

To see how these guidelines are managed and whether the platform actually enforces them, we spoke with a former technical support agent in Honduras who worked for Grindr through PartnerHero , a US-based outsourcing firm with offices in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula.

This former agent, who asked that his identity be protected to avoid retaliation, said that in his position in technical support, he received multiple reports from users such as: “This person raped me, this user sent me photos of child pornography, I was the victim of a hate crime, I encountered someone who tried to beat me up.” 

When these reports were received, enforcement officers were required to delete the offender's account, especially in serious cases. However, according to the source, the app only sanctioned profiles if another user reported them directly. This means that many people who broke the rules, harassed other users, or engaged in illegal activities went undetected and unsanctioned unless someone else reported them. In other words, if the illegal behavior wasn't reported, it went unnoticed, and the profile remained active, despite blatantly violating Grindr's guidelines.

This former agent explained that there was a legal department responsible for handling the most serious cases, but in 2018, the department was staffed by only two people in the San Pedro Sula office , which hampered a timely and effective response. In the United States, the situation was different, as authorities often contacted the legal department directly to obtain information on suspects involved in crimes.

Furthermore, according to the former agent, illegal activities within the platform were not uncommon , and he gave other examples such as the sale of illicit drugs. This activity was often coded with emojis and hidden descriptions. Among the most commonly used were: the diamond emoji, which referred to crystal meth or methamphetamines; the leaves, which represented marijuana; and the bills, which indicated the offer of sexual services.

Grindr's moderation process was slow and often ineffective, allowing many users to continue their illegal activities for extended periods, even after being reported.

Grindr not only has support offices in the United States and Honduras, but also in China and Brazil, where they manage profile moderation. In Honduras, the most common incidents involved the creation of fake profiles, identity theft, the presence of minors on the platform, and the sale of drugs, specifically marijuana. These problems are not unique to Honduras but are part of a global pattern of lack of control over activities on the platform.

Minors on Grindr?

Juan Carlos Ponce is the communications officer for Colectivo Violeta , an organization that offers support to the LGBTI community in Honduras, including legal advice and psychological care for users who experience dangerous situations within the app, in this case.

According to Ponce, a study based on a sample of 100 people conducted by Colectivo Violeta in 2024 found that the Grindr user population in Tegucigalpa is primarily divided into three age groups. Thirty-nine percent of users are between 18 and 24 years old, while 37% are between 25 and 35 years old. Only 11% of users are over 35 years old, meaning that 87% of the user base is made up of young adults.

What's worrying about these figures is the remaining 13%, representing minors under 18 who access the platform , despite Grindr's policies prohibiting access to minors. This gap in age verification within the app exposes adolescents to vulnerable situations in an environment designed for adults.

Although Grindr presents itself as a space for adult connection, the reality is that many teenagers manage to circumvent the control systems and access an environment that leaves them exposed to sexual abuse and cyberbullying.

Lucía Barrientos, coordinator of the Ixchel Organization in Honduras, says she decided to create a profile on Grindr to raise awareness about condom use and sexual protection. Through her work, she observed that there are underage users on the platform who present themselves as sex workers, which clearly constitutes a case of commercial sexual exploitation.

“Identifying underage individuals involved in sex work leads to increased violence,” Barrientos explains, “because we have received complaints from other users that demonstrate the danger the platform poses to these minors.” According to Barrientos, the vulnerability of these young people makes them easy victims of abuse and exploitation. 

According to data obtained through information requests from the Public Prosecutor's Office, 31 reports of sexual contact with minors through electronic means were received between 2020 and September 2024. The years with the most reported cases were 2021 and 2022.

Of the 31 complaints, 24 involved women, 6 involved men, and one complaint did not specify the gender. The Francisco Morazán department had the most complaints, with 9 reported cases.

Among male minors, the ages ranged between 11 and 16, which shows that adolescents in the midst of puberty are a highly vulnerable group to unwanted contact.

Juan Carlos Ponce of Colectivo Violeta confirmed in conversations with adolescent users that many did not recognize they had been victims of sexual abuse and, in some cases, lived in violent and dysfunctional environments that did not allow them to talk about what had happened to them.

These young people, whose ages ranged between 15 and 17, faced deep traumas that went unaddressed, in part due to a lack of family support and the absence of reliable reporting channels.

As part of the process to understand how the Public Prosecutor's Office handles these types of complaints, we sought information from Carlos Vallecillo, spokesperson for the Cybercrime Prosecutor's Office. In response to our inquiry, Vallecillo explained that, for legal reasons, he could not provide details about the techniques used to track the perpetrators of these crimes, arguing that "it's like telling a mouse where the cheese is hiding."

This position persisted despite the fact that it was clarified that the questions were directed solely toward documented cases and not active investigations. Furthermore, the court was not asked about the techniques used, but rather about case management and considerations for classifying the crime. 

In this context of a lack of transparency on the part of the authorities, it was necessary to turn to the Honduran Penal Code to understand the legal framework for these crimes. Article 253 establishes that anyone who, through communication technologies, proposes to a minor under fourteen years of age a physical encounter for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity, and accompanies this proposal with material acts intended to achieve said encounter, must be punished with house arrest for between one and three years.

On the other hand, Article 265 establishes that any person who sells, distributes, or exhibits pornographic material to minors under eighteen years of age, seriously affecting their sexual development, must receive a penalty of six months to two years in the form of providing public utility services or services to victims.

Commercial sexual exploitation and sugar dating on Grindr

Another concern shared by Juan Carlos Ponce of Colectivo Violeta was the presence of profiles offering sexual services on the platform, with descriptions like "call girl" or phrases like "looking for sugar." This trend not only affects adults but also minors, who are drawn into dangerous dynamics such as the "Sugar Dating" phenomenon, which has been exposed by various European media outlets and organizations as a form of covert sexual exploitation.

The concept of sugar dating has become popular through social media and dating platforms. According to the Spanish organization Por Ti Mujer , this phenomenon involves young women, often minors, forming relationships with men of greater purchasing power in exchange for expensive gifts, companionship, or sexual intimacy. When the young woman doesn't agree to the practices requested by her "sugar daddy," she may lose the financial benefits, which creates economic coercion.

In Honduras, the Inter-Institutional Commission Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Human Trafficking (CICESCT) has warned that commercial sexual exploitation occurs when people in positions of power take advantage of victims' vulnerability—whether due to their age, economic status, or geographic segregation—to obtain sexual favors in exchange for money or other benefits. Between 2021 and 2023, this commission handled 37 cases of sexual exploitation of minors, all involving females.

In 2022, the Public Ministry's Unit Against Human Trafficking, Commercial Sexual Exploitation, and Illicit Trafficking in Persons (UTESCTP) reported 101 cases involving 120 reported individuals. During that same year, 31 sentences were obtained, convicting 36 individuals implicated in the exploitation of victims. In addition, 22 additional cases were brought to trial, involving 30 individuals accused of sexual exploitation and trafficking.

Despite these judicial advances, Ponce emphasizes that many victims prefer not to report cases for fear of media exposure or because they feel that authorities do not take their cases seriously. In many cases, victims have reported that their complaints are ridiculed by authorities, which discourages them from seeking justice and they prefer to deal with the trauma privately, without going through a legal process.

Danny Montecinos, president of the Kukulcán Association, explained that many young people under 18 turn to apps like Grindr as a way to escape their family reality, marked by sexist and patriarchal norms . In many cases, these young people come from deeply traditional families with strict religious rules, where being part of the LGBTI community is seen as a stigma. This search for refuge on Grindr puts minors in a vulnerable position, as they can easily be exposed to risky situations, such as drug use or sexual exploitation.

The role of the family environment in the vulnerability of minors

Psychologist Yang Padilla, from the Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos , which works with disadvantaged, vulnerable, and disabled children and youth in Latin America, explained that in most cases, young people turn to apps like Grindr for their first sexual experiences. Generally, this search for sexual relationships on digital platforms is linked to a previous history of emotional or sexual abuse within the family.

According to Padilla, the home environment is crucial to children's sexual development, and many adolescents who use these types of apps have already been exposed to inappropriate sexual behavior in their own homes.

The expert explains that the first stage of a person's sexual development is critical and occurs between the ages of 7 and 11. During this period, if the family environment is dysfunctional or marked by abuse, it can profoundly influence how the child channels their sexual energy later in life. For example, he mentions cases in which parents have sex in the same room as their children, believing they are asleep, when in reality the child's senses—such as hearing—remain active.

This type of behavior can normalize sexuality in minors at an early age, leading them to seek ways to satisfy their sexual needs during adolescence, sometimes with older people with malicious intent.

Padilla emphasizes that these childhood traumas can manifest later in life as physical symptoms or psychological patterns that can be used to identify sexual abuse. Common symptoms include behavioral disorders and emotional problems that can be traced back to an unresolved traumatic experience in childhood.

However, the specialist clarified that not all cases of sexual abuse or exploitation in adolescents stem from previous traumatic experiences. "Each case is unique and responds to specific circumstances and conditions," he noted. This means that it cannot be assumed that all victims of sexual exploitation through platforms like Grindr have been previously abused; some adolescents are simply seeking escape in a social environment that doesn't allow them to explore their sexuality in a healthy and safe way.

The psychologist also points out that many people who have suffered sexual or emotional violence seek escape routes to cope with the trauma. "Some people resort to dysfunctional eating behaviors or develop eating disorders (EDs)," explains Padilla. Others, however, may become hypersexualized, meaning they constantly seek to satisfy their sexual needs as a way to cope with the abuse or repression they have suffered.

Drugs and exploitation on Grindr: a related danger

When I asked Juan Carlos Ponce about the use of illicit substances on the Grindr platform, his response was blunt: "Marijuana use is overly promoted on the app." He also mentioned that profiles of minors have been found that include the number 420 in their descriptions, a widely known code for marijuana. According to Ponce, this number implies that a person possesses marijuana or is looking to connect with someone who does.

One case Ponce remembers clearly is "this minor told me he had started using marijuana because he heard—through information outside the app—that it could help him lose weight." When Ponce spoke with him, the young man was about to turn 18 in April 2024, meaning he was still a minor when he started using marijuana. In his interactions on the app, the young man would search for profiles that had the number 420 in their descriptions or start conversations by directly asking if anyone had marijuana.

Ponce explained that if a user enters "420" in their profile, it's highly likely that marijuana dealers will automatically appear. According to Ponce, another worrying aspect is the presence of minors on the app, particularly in areas near schools. 

Two specific cases Ponce documented at a popular school in Tegucigalpa reinforce this trend. A minor regularly changed his description on the platform, sometimes including terms like "I'm looking for sugar" or "prepaid." This suggests that the minor was not only looking for marijuana, but was also immersed in a cycle of sexual exploitation. The other case involved a 17-year-old boy who attended classes on weekends and also used Grindr to connect with marijuana dealers.

Cases in Mexico and Chile

A revealing example of the platform's security and oversight failures occurred in Puebla, State of Mexico, 1,713 kilometers from Tegucigalpa. According to the media outlet Almanaque , between 2018 and 2020, the Puebla Prosecutor's Office recorded 78 cases of rape, cyberbullying, and sexual abuse related to encounters facilitated through dating apps, among which Grindr stood out. These cases reveal the vulnerability of users, exposed to various crimes when interacting in an environment where established norms are not always respected.

The most common offense in these complaints was violation of privacy, which in Mexico refers to the posting of sexual content without the other person's consent. Interestingly, the platform's own rules explicitly prohibit the unauthorized use or distribution of images, raising questions about Grindr's ability to monitor or sanction this type of behavior.

Following the events in Mexico, several complaints were reported in Chile between 2020 and 2022. In early 2020, Representative Ximena Ossandón requested the closure of Grindr in Chile due to the app's increasing use for drug trafficking. Amid this controversy, the media outlet T13 conducted an investigation by creating a fake profile on the platform. In just over an hour, the profile received 12 offers to sell illicit substances. However, the report drew criticism from internet users, who pointed out that the representative's and the media outlet's approach promoted stigmatization of the LGBT community. They argued that the problem is not the platform itself, but the impunity surrounding crimes committed through it.

In 2022, Chile recorded 1,046 complaints of human rights violations against LGBTIQ people. These cases included six murders and 40 physical or verbal assaults, according to the annual report on human rights of sexual diversity by the Movement for Homosexual Integration and Liberation (MOVILH) . Grindr, with a strong presence in Chile, is listed as one of the most widely used dating apps. Criminal activity using the platform has also been reported in several regions.

HIV diagnosis sales and lawsuits against Grindr

Before Grindr Inc. became the company we know today, it was known as Grindr LLC and controlled by the Chinese conglomerate Kunlun Group. However, between 2020 and 2022, the platform underwent an unexpected, less-than-voluntary sale. According to 2019 reports from reputable media outlets such as The New York Times , Reuters, and The Wall Street Journal, this sale was the result of pressure from the U.S. government during the Donald Trump administration.

The concern centered not only on the foreign ownership, but also on Grindr's access to sensitive user information, such as their location, health data (including HIV test results), and personal preferences. According to U.S. officials, this data could be used by the Chinese government for espionage purposes.

Grindr, as part of its safe sex policy, allows users to enter their HIV status or the date of their last sexually transmitted infection (STI) test . This became a major concern for US law enforcement agencies, as the platform stored and shared extremely sensitive data.

The US government's concerns were not entirely unfounded. In January 2020, the Norwegian Consumer Council released a report titled " Out of Control ," which uncovered serious warnings about Grindr's handling of personal data. According to the report, in 2018 the platform was found to be sharing sensitive user data, such as HIV status, with third-party analytics companies, including Apptimize and Localytics. These companies, like Grindr, are based in California and provide services to mobile apps, focused on increasing revenue through data collection and exploitation.

As the data-for-hire scandal continued to stir controversy, in 2021, during the platform's sale process, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a consumer alert about extortion scams occurring within Grindr. According to the FTC, scammers posed as romantic partners, set up conversations that led to the exchange of clean photos, and, once these images were obtained, threatened victims with sharing them with friends and family if payment wasn't made. The most common payment method demanded by scammers was through gift cards, making it difficult to track the perpetrators.

Researcher Zach Edwards, who audited the app for the "Out of Control" report, found that, in addition to serological information, several third-party companies also collected users' IP addresses, allowing them to track their location and other personal data. This type of leak is especially concerning in contexts where people are vulnerable to discrimination and social stigma.

In Honduras, Donny Reyes, advocacy coordinator for the Rainbow LGBT Association, expressed concern about the violation of user confidentiality and privacy in a context like Honduras. Reyes noted that the country faces a concentrated HIV epidemic, especially among the LGBTIQ and Garifuna communities. Added to this is the lack of an effective national HIV prevention plan over the past 10 years, which worsens the situation for the most vulnerable groups.

The National Plan (2020-2024) confirms Reyes' statements, indicating that the epidemic in Honduras is a concentrated form, with 93% of transmission related to sexual contact. Despite the reform of the Special Law on HIV-AIDS in 2015, Reyes criticizes the fact that state investment in public health is insufficient and that policies with a comprehensive human rights approach have not been implemented.

For her part, Lucía Barrientos recounted that, as part of sexual health and STI prevention programs, she attempted to create a personal profile on Grindr to offer HIV prevention services and promote contraceptive use on the platform. However, her accounts were repeatedly deleted, under the argument that her activity was considered "business-like," depriving users of a vital opportunity to access prevention resources. 

Norway isn't the only country to have sanctioned Grindr for failing to protect its users' sensitive data . In fact, in Norway, the platform faces a $6 million fine for violating its privacy policies. But the controversies go much further. Grindr is also currently facing a class-action lawsuit in the United Kingdom, filed in July 2022 after the Information Commissioner's Office found that Grindr had violated the UK's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The lawsuit was filed by law firm Austen Hays , which claims Grindr shared the personal and sensitive data of more than 600 users between 2018 and 2021 with third-party advertising companies without their consent. Some of the shared data includes HIV status, date of last test, and use of preventative medications like PrEP.

The firm’s managing director, Chaya Hanoomanjee, stated in April 2024: “Grindr has an obligation to the LGBTQ+ community it serves to compensate those whose data has been compromised and who have suffered distress as a result, and to ensure that all of its users are safe while using the app, wherever they are, without fear that their data could be shared with third parties.”

The UK High Court, in its latest ruling on May 16, 2024, granted a request for anonymity for all plaintiffs. The courts acknowledged that potential victims have already had their privacy rights violated.

Controversial administration at Grindr Inc.

Following the sale of Grindr and its transformation into Grindr Inc., the company merged with Tiga Acquisition Corp. , a firm incorporated in 2017 in the Cayman Islands, a British territory widely known as a tax haven and money laundering center due to its zero-tax policies for companies. This blank-check firm was founded by G. Raymond Zage III and Ashish Gupta to facilitate strategic acquisitions.

According to Tiga's official documents, Zage has more than 26 years of experience in corporate finance and investments across multiple industries. Previously, he was Managing Director and CEO of Farallon Capital Asia Pte Ltd., a subsidiary of Farallon Capital Management LLC. Founded in 1986 by Tom Steyer, the firm specializes in merger arbitrage and has been embroiled in controversy over some of its investments.

Farallon Capital, through its subsidiary Farallon Resource , was involved in the mining sector in Mexico under the name Farallon Minera Mexicana, SA de CV. The company operated Campo Morado, a mine in the state of Guerrero, under exploration concessions granted by the Mexican government that covered approximately 11,814 hectares. After ceasing operations in 2009, a significant increase in cancer cases was observed in the Arcelia region. According to the media outlet Despertar del Sur , cancer cases increased to 120 in 2011, an alarming figure that continues to generate concern in the community.

Just weeks after taking over as CEO, tweets Arison posted in 2020 were revealed in which he expressed support for President Donald Trump and described himself as a conservative. This sparked a strong backlash on social media, questioning how someone with political leanings aligned with a leader who has been critical of the LGBTI community could lead a platform that aims to be a safe and inclusive space for that community.

However, not all of the allegations facing Grindr Inc. relate to past corporate practices. Current CEO George Arison, appointed in October 2022, has also come under fire. Although the company's website portrays him as a leader committed to "a world where the lives of its global community in over 190 countries are free, equal, and fair," his social media history has raised questions about his suitability for the position.

In an attempt to obtain Grindr's official position on the various complaints and questions, we contacted the company's press office several times via the official email address provided on its website for news articles and via social media, but received no response. We also attempted to contact Grindr via social media, but again received no response.

Xiomora Castro's government: promises to LGBTIQ people to be kept

Honduras is a particularly dangerous country for LGBTI people. In 2023, 50 violent deaths were recorded, the deadliest year for this group since 1994. According to Cattrachas figures, between 2017 and 2024, 265 violent deaths of LGBTI people were recorded, reflecting an escalation of violence that the authorities have been unable to contain.

The Honduran government, under President Xiomara Castro, declared a state of emergency in December 2022 to combat crime.

However, this measure has done little to protect the LGBTI community. As of October 2024, more than 68 murders of LGBTI people have been recorded, 29 of whom were gay men, according to the organization Cattrachas. 

Added to this is the persistence of discriminatory laws, such as the lack of legal recognition of same-sex marriage or the prohibition of intimate visits for LGBTI people in prisons, as detailed in the 2024 Report Out , a UK-based human rights research organization. At the same time, LGBTIQ+ people face serious obstacles to accessing justice, where stereotypes prevail in police stations and courts that not only discriminate against them but also revictimize them, contributing to a growing distrust of the LGBTI community in the Honduran justice system.

Violeta Collective: LGBTI human rights defenders since the 1980s

The Violeta Collective Association was founded in 1985 under the original name of the Honduran Association of Homosexuals Against AIDS (AAHCOS) in San Pedro Sula, the country's second largest city. Since its inception, the organization has worked on crucial issues for the LGBTI community, including human rights, reducing stigma and discrimination, political advocacy, and access to justice.

In 2023, in response to the community's urgent needs, the association launched the Human Rights Observatory for LGBTIQ People in Honduras on December 15. This project, which had been planned since 2013, was initially supported by the organization Diakonia and later by the Spanish Cooperation in Honduras (AECID). The observatory focuses on documenting and monitoring the violence suffered by the LGBTI community and is key to providing psychological care to people affected by violence or discrimination.

One of the essential services it offers is psychological support for Grindr users who have been victims of violence, discrimination, or who are facing mental health issues stemming from their situation on the platform. This support is provided directly through profiles created by the organization within Grindr, allowing more immediate and confidential access for those in need of support.

Juan Francisco Mencia, a lawyer for the Violeta Collective Association, reported that between 2021 and October 2024, the organization has provided more than 500 systematic psychological services to members of the LGBTI community. In addition, they have recorded 239 reports and complaints of violence against members of this population, a reflection of the climate of discrimination and aggression that persists in the country.

However, Mencia noted that, since March 2024, the organization has requested a working meeting with the Public Prosecutor's Office, but has not received a concrete response for seven months. This lack of attention from the prosecuting body directly affects people seeking justice. In one of the most worrying cases, a volunteer from the organization filed a complaint with the Public Prosecutor's Office, but to date has received no information on the progress of the case. Mencia emphasizes that this impunity generates a widespread lack of interest among citizens in reporting rights violations, as they lack confidence that their cases will receive due process.

During a conversation with Yulissa Gómez, communications officer for the prosecution agency, she was asked why the Public Ministry does not include a specific category for LGBTI people in cases of cybercrimes and other hate crimes. Gómez explained that institutional gaps still exist within the Ministry, which prevent these forms of violence from being adequately reflected in records and responses to formal requests.

Furthermore, the lawyer indicated that the organization has repeatedly requested information from the Institute for Access to Public Information (IAIP), without receiving satisfactory responses. Among the requests are key questions, such as the budget allocated to mental health and the number of violent deaths of people of color. 

Regarding President Xiomara Castro's administration, Mencia noted that although there have been recent rapprochements between the government and various LGBTI groups, a sense of uncertainty persists. The lawyer questioned the fact that, although President Castro pledged to include this population in various plans and programs, the government has little time to fulfill these promises, and no serious actions have been taken to address the urgent demands of the LGBTI population.

* This journalistic work was originally produced and published in the third edition of #CambiaLaHistoria, a collaborative project between DW Akademie and Alharaca, sponsored by the German Federal Foreign Office . Cristhian Matamoros, a Criterio.hn staff journalist, participated in this project.

Learn about the project and more stories at https://cambialahistoria.com .