In October
2018, we sent a new report to 169 period of sessions at the Inter American
Commission of Human Rights.
It is a 33-page-
report in which the following topics are addressed: I. Political, economic and
social context in Venezuela 1.1. Acquisition of medicines and various products
in short supply; 1.2. Shortage of medications; 1.3. Lack of antiretrovirals for
people living with HIV and death of activists in the country; 1.4. Forced
migration of LGBTI people and death of activists outside of Venezuela; 1.5.
Trafficking and modern slavery of trans women.
The situation we have denounced for several
years persists: the absence of a legal protection framework for same-sex
couples; the denial of identity to trans and intersex people; the lack of a
legal instrument to protect LGBTI people from discrimination and clear punishment
for those who commit acts of discrimination and violence against LGBTI people.
Additionally, we explain how the prior situation
of discrimination persists in the Armed Forces; in health centers in general
and in those recipients of blood donation; in universities and other education
centers; in the work area; in public and private spaces; in State institutions;
in the media and against LGBTI persons deprived of their liberty.
Statements and expressions that incite
homophobia in Venezuela persist by state officials, starting with Mr. Nicolás
Maduro, and by religious leaders. All of these has been aggravated by the
political, economic and social situation in the county since 2015.
The lack
of food has affected LGBTI persons, on top of that what has affected the
most are the measurements taken by the government. These measures have been
discriminatory towards the LGBTI population. For example, businesses and
supermarkets were forced to install biometric reading machines so that each
buyer could be identified and know how many and which products they have bought
and when, according to the government to avoid hoarding. This system of buying
and selling affected trans people due to the incongruence between their gender
identity and the legal identity reflected in their identity document. Another
measure adopted by the government was the distribution of food bags house by
house through the Local Committees for Supply and Production - CLAP. For this
sale, a census of families was ordered. This measure affected families made up
of same-sex couples, which are not counted because they are not considered
families.
The lack
of medications has also affected LGBTI people, for instance, trans people
who are in a transition process are not able to find their hormones. So they
claim they have had to buy and use animal hormones in order to continue their
process. Others explain that they have bought the medication in neighboring
countries at very high prices or have decided to stop their process because
they cannot afford it.
Trafficking of Trans Women
In 2016, we learned of a network dedicated to
the trafficking business of trans women from Venezuela. At that time, the
detention of three people and the release of three victims in Spain were
mentioned. For 2017, several international news portals published about the
capture of 14 people for exploiting trans women from Venezuela. In the
procedure 24 victims were released. Despite
having legislation for the protection of women and another for the control of
organized crime, they are not properly implemented. Therefore, it is not a lack
of laws or regulations. This is a matter that the Venezuelan State must
urgently address.
The situation in Venezuela has caused a forced migration of people in general,
that includes LGBTI people. At the beginning of 2017, we reported on the
emigration of several activists, resulting in a decrease in the number of
organizations, social movements, student groups and other independent civil
society organizations working for the defense of Human Rights of LGBTI people
in the country. We do not have the
number of activists that have left the country but we do know that there are
only two independent NGO working for LGBTI people in Caracas, Unión Afirmativa,
the NGO I Direct, is one of them.
You can download and read the report at www.unionafirmativ.org.ve
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