Sharon Muñoz Zúñiga
23 Apr 2024
Yumbo, Valle del Cauca (Colombia)
Murdered
TDoR list ref: tgeu/tdor2024/23-Apr-2024/Sharon Muñoz Zúñiga
Sharon's body was found in the early hours of Wednesday 24th April. Three days earlier Macarena had also been murdered in Valle del Cauca.
April 24, 2024. In the early hours of today, the lifeless body of Sharon Muñoz Zúñiga was found in the municipality of Yumbo, Valle del Cauca. This tragic event marks a dark chapter in the growing wave of violence against trans people in the country. Sharon becomes the fourth victim, joining three other recent cases: Verónica Dantez, affectionately known as La Gringuita in Bogotá, Valentina in the department of Pasto and Macarena/Selena Acuña in Cali. It is alarming to note that this would be the second murder of a trans woman in Valle del Cauca in less than 96 hours.
This new case of homicide and/or feminicide adds a total of thirteen (13) victims known to the Caribbean Affirmative Observatory. For this reason, Caribe Afirmativo expresses its deep concern about this act of violence, which threatens the integrity and life of LGBTIQ+ people. We demand an immediate and decisive response from the Colombian State and its institutions in the face of these worrying events. It is imperative that justice be done for Sharon Muñoz Zúñiga and for all trans people who have been victims of violence and discrimination in our country, with the application of a differential approach in the investigation and application of the guidelines of Directives 004 and 006 of the Attorney General's Office regarding the type of feminicide and investigations of violence committed against LGBTIQ+ people.
In addition to the search for justice, it is essential to guarantee the safety and well-being of trans people throughout the national territory. For this reason, we call on the Ministry of the Interior and the LGBTIQ+ Directorate attached to the Ministry of Equality to convene a month of urgent cases, as well as the Government of Valle to convene a working group with civil society and build actions to guarantee the life and personal integrity of LBTIQ+ people. We demand the taking of concrete and effective measures to protect the human rights of all trans people in Colombia and to eradicate the violence and discrimination they face daily.
As a society, we must unite in solidarity and action to build a country where all people can live a dignified and full life, free of violence and discrimination. We will not rest until we achieve a Colombia where diversity is celebrated and where all lives matter.
We sympathize with family and friends of Sharon Muñoz Zúñiga in this case, hoping that what happened will be investigated.
