More than a thousand people marched this Friday in the center of Bogotá to cry out against violence against trans people, with special rejection of the death of Alejandra Monocuco, a trans woman who died a few years ago weeks after an alleged negligence of the Mayor in her medical care.

The demonstration, organized by the Trans Community Network and with a replica in six other cities in the country, was the largest so far since President Iván Duque decreed the total closure of Colombia due to the coronavirus crisis on March 20.

With a festive and vindictive tone, the protesters left at five in the afternoon from the National Park with a tour in which they waved flags with the colors trans, blue, pink and white, and with the motto #Yomarchotrans on the head of the protest.

"Alejandra did not die, Alejandra was killed" was the majority song among the protesters, who used masks to protect themselves from the spread of the coronavirus, a pandemic that in Colombia has so far 109,505 infected and 3,777 dead.

"So far in 2020 in Colombia, 16 trans women have been murdered. In the month of pride, there were six trans murdered for being them, for building themselves as trans women and free women," the communications spokesperson for the Trans Community Network told Efe. , Yuli Salamanca.

The banners praised the dignity of trans people with messages such as #LasVidasTransImportan or #TransBodiesAreSacred, including that of a girl who prayed: "# NiñezTrans I am leaving Trans because I want to live but live and grow without fear."

JUSTICE FOR ALEJANDRA

The strongest claim was the one asking for justice for Alejandra Monocuco, a trans woman who died after the alleged negligence of officials from the Mayor's Office of Bogotá, who had refused to attend to her and transport her by ambulance for having HIV.

At the time, the mayor of the capital, Claudia López, acknowledged that "a mistake" was made in her care.

"We are demanding that justice be done for Alejandra who did not die, but was murdered by the State, murdered because she did not want to pay attention to her because she is a black, trans woman, a sex worker living with HIV," said Salamanca. Read more via EFE/Yahoo