By San Diego Gay and Lesbian News
WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign today called upon federal and local government officials and law enforcement authorities to strengthen their efforts to implement a long-term strategy to address violence against LGBT individuals in Puerto Rico.
Three LGBT Puerto Ricans have been found dead over the past several days and 18 LGBT Puerto Ricans have been murdered over the last year and a half, according to reports.
On Tuesday, it was reported that Ramón “Moncho” Salgado was found dead along the side of a highway; Karlota Gómez Sánchez, a transgender woman, was found shot to death at an intersection on Monday; and Alejandro Torres Torres was found stabbed to death over the weekend.
“The alarming rate of violence against LGBT Puerto Rican's cannot be tolerated,” HRC President Joe Solmonese said. “Puerto Rican government officials and law enforcement, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice, must ensure that LGBT people have the protection they need to survive. When a community has to live in constant fear of violence and even death for who they are, everyone suffers.”
Puerto Rico has a hate crime law that covers sexual orientation and gender identity. In addition, federal law prohibits hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The Community Relations Service of the Department of Justice entered an agreement with the Puerto Rico Civil Rights Commission, the Puerto Rico Police Department and the Colegio Universitario de Justicia Criminal in 2010 to create a cooperative effort to develop and implement hate crime training initiatives and civil rights curriculum for the Puerto Rico Police Academy and Puerto Rico Police Department.
Despite such legal protection and ongoing efforts to address hate violence, the murders of LGBT individuals have continued.