José Enrique Bazán Pérez, a sexual diversity activist in Oaxaca, reported being a victim of abuse by the municipal police of Santa Lucía del Camino. The incident took place on the night of February 6 when he was arrested 'arbitrarily.'
The activist recounted that he was beaten, discriminated against, and mistreated by the police officers, who physically assaulted him in the parking lot of a store for no apparent reason. Bazán showed the bruises on his face and body inflicted during the detention.
According to his testimony, the situation escalated after witnessing the police assault his nephew, attempting to intervene, and being unjustly arrested. 'They pulled me, struggled with me, and then assaulted me; all I wanted was an explanation of why they were taking my nephew, but instead, they insulted him and called him a 'mayate,'' Bazán explained.
After his arrest, the activist experienced inhumane treatment in the cell, where he felt ill and had a fever, receiving insults when he requested assistance. He was finally transferred to an office after his companion in the movement spoke with the authorities, although on the condition of not revealing what had happened.
Bazán lamented the discrimination he faced due to his sexual orientation and declared that the abuse suffered would not go unpunished. 'This will not end here; the police must pay for what they did to me,' he asserted. Nationally, organizations such as the Center for Support of Trans Identities have documented a concerning number of murders of transgender individuals in Mexico, with an average of 53 deaths per year from 2007 to 2022.
