Guayaquil, Ecuador – The Silueta X Association has expressed profound revulsion and grief following a horrific massacre that occurred on the night of Sunday, October 12, in the southwest Guayaquil neighborhood of 22nd and Cristóbal Colón streets. The brutal attack, which left six people dead—including a 40-year-old Trans woman named Kika—and at least 15 wounded (among them two teenagers and a six-year-old child), underscores the escalating, indiscriminate violence plaguing the city.
Massacre Details and Context of Violence
The attack took place during a community football championship and local activities celebrating Guayaquil’s Independence Day, where over 150 residents had gathered. A group of masked assailants, using high-caliber pistols and rifles, opened fire from two cars and a tricimoto, releasing an estimated 85 shots.
Police investigation points to a primary hypothesis of a territorial dispute between criminal gangs operating in the vulnerable southwest area. Silueta X notes that the absence of the State has allowed organized crime to turn entire neighborhoods into high-risk zones. The victims identified so far had no criminal records, highlighting how the violence primarily targets innocent civilians.
Kika: A Trans Life Struck Down
Among the fatalities was Kika, a 40-year-old Trans woman and active member of the local LGBTIQ+ community. Kika was actively involved in the football championship, promoting inclusion and solidarity in a neighborhood often marked by marginalization.
Silueta X emphasizes that Kika’s murder is not an isolated event but a cruel reflection of the intersection between organized crime and endemic Transphobia. The Association stresses that Trans women are the most exposed:
“Kika’s murder hurts us like a punch to the soul of the entire Trans community, which already lives under the yoke of discrimination, unemployment, and lack of state protection. How many more Kikas must we lose before the State recognizes Transfeminicide as a specific crime and acts with urgency?”
Alarms from the Runa Sipiy Report
According to Silueta X’s preliminary Runa Sipiy 2025 Report, Ecuador has registered at least 15 violent deaths of Trans and LGBTIQ+ individuals this year. The report indicates that in 82% of these cases, the victims had no links to criminal activity but were easy targets of violence that preys on their vulnerability, often linked to extortion and “protection fees” (vacunas).
Urgent Demands for State Action
Silueta X demands immediate and structural responses from the government:
- Immediate, Differential Investigation: The Attorney General’s Office and National Police must prioritize the massacre and Kika’s case as a possible Transfeminicide, incorporating the hate bias into the investigation.
- Integral Protection: Implementation of specific security protocols and public shelters for Trans women in high-risk zones, along with expedited access to justice.
- Structural Violence Policies: The National Government must declare a human rights emergency for Trans people, reinforcing state presence in vulnerable neighborhoods and fighting the collusion between organized crime and gender discrimination.
- Support for Families: Immediate solidarity for the injured and the victims’ families, including free medical care and comprehensive reparations.
