199+ Documented Killings, Systemic Impunity, and Zero State Protection
Guayaquil, Ecuador — May 17, 2026 — On the International Day Against Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, the Observatorio Runa Sipiy of Asociación Silueta X releases its definitive country conditions assessment: Ecuador is not a safe country for LGBTIQ+ people or people living with HIV.
The evidence is arithmetic, not rhetoric. Since 2010, more than 199 LGBTIQ+ people have been murdered in Ecuador. In the first five months of 2026 alone: 12 killings — 11 trans women and one gay man. The Ecuadorian State has recorded zero of these deaths in any official database.
Documented Cases 2026
| Name | Age | Circumstances | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| “La Venezolana” | — | Trans migrant woman, body unclaimed in morgue | Daule, Guayas (Jan) |
| Daleska | 21 | Found in estuary, Jambelí archipelago | Santa Rosa, El Oro (Feb) |
| Deyran | 15 | Raped, tortured with saw and acid, killed by 3 men | Alpachaca, Ibarra (Feb) |
| Gisella Estefanía Granda Ochoa | 46 | Screwdriver in neck, decomposed | Pasaje, El Oro (Feb) |
| Unnamed | — | Trans sex worker shot from vehicle, 2 daughters orphaned | Cuenca (Feb) |
Structural State Failures
- No official records: Police, Prosecutor’s Office and INEC collect zero data. The Single Registry of Violence explicitly excludes trans people.
- No transfemicide law: The Penal Code does not recognize transfemicide. Cases investigated as simple homicides, losing hate crime aggravants.
- Systemic impunity: Deliberate procedural delays until flagrancy expires. In the Deyran case, 3 identified aggressors remained free for days.
- Victim criminalization: Police routinely link LGBTIQ+ victims to illicit activities before concluding investigations.
- Institutional violence: Healthcare denial, incorrect names/pronouns in forensic records, arbitrary detention of trans sex workers, no shelters.
- Extermination zone: El Oro province — at least 5 LGBTIQ+ murders in 2025-2026.
Conclusion for Asylum and Refugee Claims
Ecuador presents conditions constituting effective persecution: extreme violence (199+ murders in 16 years), state denial (zero records), systemic impunity, victim criminalization, healthcare denial, absence of protection mechanisms. The violence is structural, systematic, and backed by state omission.
Need Documentation for Your Application?
Asociación Silueta X and the Observatorio Runa Sipiy (Ecuador’s only LGBTIQ+ lethal violence monitoring system since 2013) can issue:
- Country conditions reports
- Documented violence certifications
- Support letters for asylum applications
- Updated homicide and transfemicide data
Contact:
Email: siluetax@gmail.com
CC: info@siluetax.org
Web: www.siluetax.org
Include in your request: full name, destination country, type of documentation needed, and deadline if applicable.
Endorsed by: Asociación Silueta X | Federación Nacional de Organizaciones LGBTIQ+ (73 collectives) | Plataforma Nacional Trans — CoaliTrans (22 collectives) | Alianza Nacional para el Monitoreo de Femi(ni)cidios
Issued May 17, 2026 — International Day Against Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.