NGO Demands Justice for Three Transgender Women Killed in El Salvador This Week

Three transgender women were killed in El Salvador this week, bringing attention to the high rate of violence against the LGBT community in the small Central American nation.

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Human Rights First, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization, issued a statement Thursday speaking out against these murders and urging the U.S. government to condemn these acts of violence.

“The reported murders in El Salvador are just one example of the extreme violence, homophobia and transphobia that is prevalent in the country,” said Human Rights First’s Shawn Gaylord.

The body of a trans woman was found Tuesday in La Paz, El Salvador, according to the attorney general’s office. Two other trans women were murdered the previous Saturday in the same province.

Although it is difficult to find comprehensive statistics, human rights organizations believe that El Salvador has one of the highest rates of violence against LGBT individuals in the region.

As thousands of migrants have fled Central America’s Northern Triangle – El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras – in the past few years, organizations working with migrants in southern Mexico have reported an increase in LGBT migrants fleeing their home countries.

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El Salvador is one of the most dangerous countries in the world outside of a warzone, largely due to high rates of gang violence and widespread impunity. According to a report by the Salvadoran Trans Communication and Training Association, the main perpetrators of violence against the LGBT community are gangs and police forces.

“These murders share several common denominators, including the patterns of violence, hate and persecution that underscore the extreme vulnerability that LGBTI people face in El Salvador,” said Salvadoran trans woman and human rights activist Karla Avelar, according to Human Rights First. “None of us want to leave our native country, but we are forced to flee and seek asylum in the United States and other countries in order to protect our lives.”

The average lifespan of a transgender person in El Salvador is 35 years, due to the high rates of sexually transmitted diseases, violence and suicide, according to La Izquierda Diario.

LGBT groups in El Salvador are currently fighting for a new law to recognize their identity and protect transgender individuals from hate crimes.