Ecuador has a new name on its registry of gender-based violence: La China. The 32-year-old trans woman was gunned down on April 15, 2026, at 23:43 on Calle 10 in central Quevedo, Los Rios province. The execution-style killing-multiple shots fired by unknown assailants without warning-follows a documented pattern of lethal violence against trans women in Ecuador that the State has failed to prevent.
The Runa Sipiy Observatory, administered by Asociacion Silueta X since 2013, has registered the case as SX-LR-2026-150426, categorizing it as transfemicide with potential links to organized crime. The Observatory’s national network of 95 LGBT+ and trans collectives confirms this is not an isolated incident but part of a systematic pattern: 30 violent deaths of trans persons were documented in 2025 alone, with at least 10 confirmed transfemicides.
Forensic analysis indicates the attack occurred during peak hours for trans sex workers in the area. The methodology-drive-by execution without verbal exchange-matches documented cases where criminal groups extort protection fees from trans workers, executing those who refuse payment.
Legal experts from Consultorio Juridico X demand the case be prosecuted under Article 141 of Ecuador’s Criminal Code (femicide) with the aggravating circumstance of gender identity hate crime (Article 47.11). This classification requires the Prosecutor’s Office to apply reinforced due diligence standards established by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in the Campo Algodonero case.
The victim’s chosen name and gender identity must be respected in all official records. The practice of registering trans women under their legal masculine names post-mortem constitutes symbolic revictimization and violates international human rights standards.
Institutional demands include immediate assignment of a gender-specialized prosecutor, preservation of ballistic evidence, and activation of security protocols for the trans population in Quevedo.
For asylum seekers, migrants, and refugees in Ecuador seeking LGBTQ+ and trans situation reports or letters of support, contact info@siluetax.org