Name Unknown
28 Feb 2026
Cuenca, Azuay (Ecuador)
Shot
The victim was shot in the street. Her murder leaves two young children as orphans.
Guayaquil, February 28, 2026 – La Asociación Silueta X, along with Federación Ecuatoriana de Organizaciones LGBT+, Coalición Quiteña Resistencia Rosa and Plataforma Nacional Trans (Coalitrans) denounce the heinous murder of a trans woman and sex worker, which occurred on the night of February 26 in downtown Cuenca. The victim was riddled with approximately 15 bullets on the corner of calles Vega Muñoz and Manuel Vega, an act that demonstrates the cruelty and contempt for our lives.
This crime not only takes the life of a colleague, but also shatters a family by leaving two young girls orphaned. We demand that the State, through its social inclusion agencies, immediately guarantee the protection and support of these children, who are the collateral victims of a system that failed to protect their mother.
Our national reality contradicts any discourse of peace; while the Runa Sipiy report continues to corroborate that Ecuador is a hostile territory for trans populations, we are concerned that countries like the United States continue to consider Ecuador a destination for sending asylum seekers or deportees. Rampant insecurity and the lack of basic guarantees demonstrate that, for an LGBT+ person, Ecuador is not a refuge, but a scenario of constant risk.
We reject the police attempts to criminalize the victim to deflect attention from their incompetence. We will not rest until this case is investigated with a gender perspective and justice is served for both the deceased and her daughters.
Source: Centro de Apoyo a las Identidades Trans
