Danna Mendez Berrio

The last time Deiner Alexander Mendez alias (Danna Mendez) was seen was on the night of Saturday 11 February 2017 when she was walking with some friends towards the main village park.

However, since that day, there was no news of her. It was only on the following Wednesday, 15th of February, that her body was found on a building site in advanced stage of decay and showing marks of tortures

Since school, Danna had wanted to express her sexual identity. However, this made her feel vulnerable and so she stopped her studies,” said William Alarez Osorio, legal representative of Chaparral LGTBI Diverse Association where “Danna” was a member and a leading campaigner for the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals in the region.

She was a Chinese transsexual and had been a member of the LGTBI organization for the previous five years fighting against homophobia and defending the rights of other members of Chaparral LGTBI community” said Alvarez Osorio.

Recently Danna had done a two year hairdressing course with the National Training Service and was working as a stylist in the Camila beauty salon. Danna lived with her family in the Tuluni Chaparral area.


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Region:Americas

Country:Colombia

Department/Province/State:Tolima

Nickname:Danna

Sex1:Trans woman

Age:no information

Date of Killing:12/02/2017

Previous Threats:No information

Gender component to killing:Evidence of gender-based and/or sexual violence

Organisation:Asociación Chaparral Lgtbi Diversa Chaparral - Tolima

Sector or Type of Rights the HRD Worked On:ESC Rights

Sector Detail:Freedom of Expression, LGBTI

More information:Front line Defenders

1This database records an individual's chosen gender identity. If they do not self-identify as male or female they can use the option of recording other/neither or use the term NBGI (non binary gender identity).

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