Transgender TV Presenter Slain in Honduras

Honduran television presenter Santiago Carvajal, better known as Santi to viewers, was shot and killed last week.

Carvajal, whom Tiempo Digitalconfirms was trans, was an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ people, using her platform on La Galaxia de Santi to criticize local authorities, Pink Newsreports. She was also adept at exploring serious subject matter like homophobic and transphobic violence in a unique and sometimes humorous way, Planet Transgender notes.

According to Pink News, Carvajal was on her way to a local TV station in Puerto Cortes when a group of people shot her. Witnesses to the attack stayed with her until medical help could arrive and transport her to a nearby hospital, El Paisreports. Due to the severity of her injuries, Carvajal was transferred to another hospital in San Pedro Sula, where she died.

It is possible that Carvajal's killing fits into an ongoing pattern of violence against journalists in Honduras. Citing data from the National Commissioner for Human Rights in Honduras, La Vanguardiareports that at least 77 people with ties to the media have been killed in a violent way since 2001, and that 92%of those crimes have gone unsolved.

Local police have opened an investigation into Carvajal's killing, according to Tiempo Digital. They have not yet identified any suspects, nor have they named a motive.

In a Facebook video posted Monday by Canal 6 Honduras, Carvajal's family demands "justice" for Santi.

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