In a video shared on social networks, Monday, April 6, police humiliate two transgender women, forcing them to shout "I want to be a man", while punishing them with jumping with their feet together, crouching, for allegedly not respecting the containment measures intended to fight the epidemic due to the coronavirus. The scene, which takes place in a police station in Callao north of the capital, Lima, sparked outrage from the LGBT community (lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender people).
A few days earlier, Wednesday April 2, the Head of State, Martin Vizcarra, had decreed the tightening of containment measures, as part of the state of emergency facing the Covid-19, with differentiated days of exit by gender. Three days for men, three days for women and ban on going out for everyone on Sunday. An exceptional measure justified in order to limit movement and facilitate controls, while the epidemic has caused the death of 107 people in the country and infected 2,954 others (confirmed cases), according to the latest report on Tuesday, April 7.
President Martin Vizcarra, like his Minister of the Interior, Carlos Moran, had then assured that no discrimination would be tolerated. Adding that instructions had been given to the police so that they do not control the identity card of trans people, but trust their appearance and their statement.
“Culture of discrimination”
"We are an inclusive government, have no fear", launched Mr. Vizcarra on April 2, in one of his speeches that have become almost daily since his forties. An opening speech welcomed by defenders of the rights of sexual minorities, but which was not enough to allay the concerns. Even before the announcement of alternate release, many cases of abuse have been reported since the start of confinement on March 15 by the police against LGBT people: arbitrary detentions, insults, violence.
Also, a law enacted at the end of March, called the "police protection law," which exempts police and military from prosecution if they injure or kill while on the job has added to the climate of fear. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have called for its immediate repeal, saying it opens the door to impunity.
