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Gunmen kill transgender woman activist in Honduras for supporting LGBTQ
A transgender woman activist who openly supported the LGBTQ community in Honduras has been killed by unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle on Thursday in the town of Morocelí, in the eastern province of El Paraíso.
The police say she had dropped some friends off and was leaving their house, talking on a cellphone, when she was gunned down.
Police spokesman Miguel Carranza said:
“The motive behind the crime is thought to be a personal issue with her enemies.”
The 42-year-old victim, Melissa Núñez, had reportedly spent over two decades in the United States and only returned to her country in November last year after she was deported from the US.
Activist groups in the South American country said the killing of Núñez was a clear sign of how dangerous life was in the country for members of the LGBTQ community.
Read also:Ghanaian actor, Majid Michel, tackles LGBTQ community
“We are worried because the violence in Honduras continues to increase. The government should declare a state of emergency on this issue,” said Merlin Eguigure, the coordinator of the Visitación Padilla Women for Peace Movement, a renowned LGBTQ group.
A representative of the local Rainbow Movement, Danny Reyes, who addressed a press conference on Friday, said there have been 35 crimes against members of the LGBTQ community in Honduras so far this year.
“They continue to kill us, they continue to violate our rights. We demand that the Honduran government do its best to start ensuring social justice,” Reyes said.
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