New York/San Salvador, March 6, 2017
Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) condemns, firmly and unequivocally, the murders of Yasuri Orellana, Daniela Rodríguez y Elisa N., Salvadoran trans women, that took place between February 18-22 of this year, in the Department of La Paz, in El Salvador, and expresses its solidarity with the victims’ families and friends, as well as with members of the trans community in the country.
Moreover, we assert our deep concern for the continuous and inadmissible increase in violence against the trans community in El Salvador that has taken the lives of 5 trans women in the first two months of 2017, with no person (s) charged so far of committing these crimes.
We call on the Attorney General of the Republic, agency in charge of prosecuting crimes, and on the Supreme Court of Justice to apply prompt and duly justice to these abhorrent crimes, in accordance to the current Criminal Code, which stipulates as hate crimes, those motivated on the basis of the sexual orientation and/or gender identity of the victims.
With the imperative obligation to guarantee the fundamental human rights of all individuals and groups, in September 2015, the Salvadoran State approved the reform to the Criminal Code incorporating these grounds, among others, as aggravating circumstances for the crimes of homicides and threats. And, in addition, acceded to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in November of the same year.
We expect that the institutions such as the Attorney General and the Supreme Court of Justice assume their responsibility in the enforcement of the Constitution in accordance to the international instruments that El Salvador has ratified as evidence of its good will in the defense and protection of human rights.
We are gravely concerned that these crimes continue in impunity stirring discriminatory attitudes against Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex (LGBTI) people. We respectfully remind the institutions in charge of prosecution and law enforcement that this would undermine the important progress on human rights issues in the country and would contravene its national legislation and international obligations.
About PGA
Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) is a non-governmental, non-partisan international network of approximately 1,400 legislators in 143 elected parliaments around the globe that informs and mobilizes parliamentarians to advocate for human rights and the rule of law, democracy, human security, non-discrimination and gender equality. In 2013, PGA launched its Global Parliamentary Campaign on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI Campaign) to sensitize parliamentarians about the human rights principles of equality and non-discrimination and encourage protection measures and legislative reforms that prevent and eliminate the stigma, discrimination and violence against the LGBTI community.
On behalf of Parliamentarians for Global Action:
Dip. Margarita Stolbizer, President of PGA, Congress of the Republic of Argentina
Dip. Ronny Monge, Co-Convenor of Gender, Equality and Population Program, Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica
Dip. Karina Sosa, Co-Convenor of Gender, Equality and Population Program, Legislative Assembly of El Salvador
Contact in New York:
Mónica Adame
Program Director, Gender, Equality and Population Program
E: monica.adame@pgaction.org
T: +1-646-762-7295
