Carlos de Jesus Baez Torres, a trans-gender woman better known as Karla, was shot dead on Sunday, January 1, 2017 when she was walking down the street. Unidentified men on a van called her by her nickname and when she approached them, they shot her.
Karla was a social leader of the LGTBI+ community in Cucuta. She was an active member of Asociación de Chicas Trans de Norte de Santander (Asotrasnor), an organisation dedicated to defending the rights of the homeless, conflict victims and sex workers. She was well known for her high-level campaigning and commitment to the struggle for LGBTI rights in the capital of North Santander, as well as for her determination to defend the rights of transgender women in the LGTBI+ community at national level.